Pennsylvania State Capitol

Pennsylvania State Capitol. The Pennsylvania State Capitol building is the seat of Government of Pennsylvania and is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state's capital. It was designed by Joseph Miller Huston and completed in 1906. The building is a prominent example of Beaux-Arts architecture and features a large dome inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy, and the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., designed by William Thornton and Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

● History

The history of the Pennsylvania State Capitol dates back to 1812, when the Pennsylvania General Assembly first met in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The current building is the third capitol building to be constructed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, following the Old City Hall (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) and the Hill Capitol. The building was designed by Joseph Miller Huston and constructed between 1902 and 1906 at a cost of $13 million, with funding provided by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Andrew Carnegie. The building was dedicated on October 4, 1906, with a ceremony attended by Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and other notable figures, including Gifford Pinchot and Boies Penrose.

● Architecture

The Pennsylvania State Capitol building is a prominent example of Beaux-Arts architecture, with a design inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy, and the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., designed by William Thornton and Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The building features a large dome that rises 272 feet above the ground, making it one of the tallest domes in the world, comparable to the Pantheon (Rome) and the Taj Mahal. The building's design was influenced by the work of Frank Furness, John McArthur Jr., and Horace Trumbauer, and features a mix of limestone, granite, and marble materials, sourced from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Italy. The building's architecture has been praised by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and other notable architects, including Daniel Burnham and Cass Gilbert.

● Features

The Pennsylvania State Capitol building features a number of notable sculptures and murals, including works by George Grey Barnard, Malvina Hoffman, and Violet Oakley. The building's interior is decorated with marble and limestone materials, and features a number of large chandeliers and stained glass windows, designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany and John La Farge. The building's dome is topped with a statue of Commonwealth, designed by Roland Hinton Perry, and features a number of skylights and ventilators, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. The building is also home to a number of notable artworks, including a portrait of William Penn by Charles Willson Peale, and a bust of Benjamin Franklin by Jean-Antoine Houdon.

● Tourism

The Pennsylvania State Capitol building is a popular tourist destination, attracting over 100,000 visitors each year, including visitors from New York City, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. The building offers guided tours, which include the Governor's Reception Room, the House of Representatives chamber, and the Senate chamber, as well as the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Archives. Visitors can also climb to the top of the dome for a panorama view of the city, comparable to the views from the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower. The building is located near a number of other notable attractions, including the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the National Civil War Museum, and the Harrisburg Transportation Center, which provides access to Amtrak and Greyhound Lines.

● Government

The Pennsylvania State Capitol building is the seat of the Government of Pennsylvania, and is home to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Governor of Pennsylvania, and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. The building is also home to a number of other government agencies, including the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and the Pennsylvania State Police. The building has played host to a number of notable events, including the 1969 inauguration of Milton Shapp, the 1979 inauguration of Dick Thornburgh, and the 2003 inauguration of Ed Rendell, as well as visits from Nelson Rockefeller, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. The building is protected by the Pennsylvania Capitol Police, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with other notable buildings, including the White House and the United States Capitol. Category:Government buildings in Pennsylvania