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Texas State Capitol

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(U.S.  National Historic Landmark )/wiki/Image:Texas_State_Capitol_building-front_left_front_oblique_view.JPG /wiki/Image:Texas_State_Capitol_building-front_left_front_oblique_view.JPG 

At the time of its construction, thecapitol building was billed as "The

Seventh Largest Building in the World."

Location: Congress and 11th StsAustin, Texas, USA 

Coordinates: 30°16′29″ N 97°44′26″W / 30.27472, -97.74056Coordinates: 30°16′29″ N

97°44′26

″W / 30.27472, -97.74056 

Built/Founded:  1885 

Architect:  Elijah E. Myers 

Designated as NHL:  June 23, 1986 

Added to NRHP:  June 22, 1970 NRHP Reference#:  70000770

Governing body:  Texas State Preservation BoardThe Texas State Capitol, located in Austin, Texas, is the fourth building to serve as the seat of Texas 

government. It houses the chambers of the Texas State Legislature and the office of the Governor of Texas.Originally designed by Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 – 88 under the direction of civil engineerLindsay Walker , and a $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark  in 1986. It is thelargest State Capitol building, but smaller than the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.[1] 

Contents[hide]

1 History 

2 Controversy over religious display 

3 Gallery 

4 References 

5 External links 

[edit] HistoryConstruction of the Renaissance Revival style capitol building was funded through an article in the state

constitution, adopted February 15, 1876, which authorized the sale of public lands for the purpose. The builders ofthe capitol were paid with three million acres (12,000 km²) of land in the Texas panhandle; this tract later becamethe XIT Ranch. The value of the land, combined with out-of-pocket expenses, added to a total cost of $3.7 millionfor the original building. It was largely constructed by convicts or migrant workers, up to 1,000 at a time. The building has been renovated many times, with central air conditioning installed in 1955 and the most recentrefurbishments completed in 1997./wiki/Image:Cornerstone_of_Texas_State_Capitol_building.JPG /wiki/Image:Cornerstone_of_Texas_State_Capitol_building.JPG /wiki/Image:Cornerstone_of_Texas_State_Capitol_building.JPG /wiki/Image:Cornerstone_of_Texas_State_Capitol_building.JPGCornerstone of Texas State Capitol building

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The cornerstone for the building was laid on March 2, 1885, Texas Independence Day, and the completed buildingwas opened to the public on April 21, 1888, San Jacinto Day. The original plan for the capitol called for it to be

constructed from limestone quarried within the state; however there was some concern that the available

limestone would be of variable quality. Hearing of the problem, the owners of Granite Mountain near Marble Falls offered to donate to the state free of charge the necessary amount of pink granite as an alternative. This stone wassubsequently used on the majority of state government buildings in the downtown Austin area, and was called"Texas Pink Granite" until very recently, when those marketing the stone changed the name to "sunset red."Within the rotunda hang the portraits of every past Texas Governor , and the lobby features sculptures by Elisabet Ney of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. The rotunda also acts as a whispering gallery. The capitol has morefloor space than any other state capitol building, and is almost 15 feet (5 m) higher than the National Capitol.The Texas State Capitol was ranked 92 in the "America's Favorite Architecture" poll commissioned by theAmerican Institute of Architects, that ranked the top 150 favorite architectural projects in America as of 2007.

[edit] Controversy over religious displayA granite monument of the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol was at the center of a2005 U.S. Supreme Court case, Van Orden v. Perry , in which the display was challenged as unconstitutional. In lateJune 2005, the Court ruled that the display was not unconstitutional.

[edit] Gallery

/wiki/Image:Capitol_in_Austin_Texas_at_Night.jpg /wiki/Image:Capitol_in_Austin_Texas_at_Night.jpg The Capitol Buildingilluminated at night

/wiki/Image:TexasHouseof RepresentativesChamber.jpg /wiki/Image:TexasHouseof RepresentativesChamber.jpg The Texas House ofRepresentatives Chamber

/wiki/Image:TexasSenateChamberinAustin.jpg /wiki/Image:TexasSenateChamberinAustin.jpg Texas Senate Chamber

/wiki/Image:FloortilesinTXCapitolAnnex.JPG /wiki/Image:FloortilesinTXCapitolAnnex.JPG Reverse of state seal, showing thesix flags of Texas, on floor ofCapitol Annex

/wiki/Image:TenCommandmentsAustinStateCapitol.jpg 

/wiki/Image:TenCommandmentsAustinStateCapitol.jpg The Ten Commandmentsdisplay

/wiki/Image:TexasCapitol-Lady.jpg 

/wiki/Image:TexasCapitol-Lady.jpg Goddess of Liberty statueatop the building

/wiki/Image:Capitoldome.jpg 

/wiki/Image:Capitoldome.jpg Picture of the capitolcupola

/wiki/Image:Floor_of_Texas_capitol.JPG 

/wiki/Image:Floor_of_Texas_capitol.JPG Floor, depicting "Republic ofTexas"

/wiki/Image:Texas_Capitol _night.jpg /wiki/Image:Texas_Capitol _night.jpg The Capitol at night