Minnesota State Capitol
Background
When the Minnesota Territory was established in 1849, the Legislature held its first meetings in a log hotel in St. Paul. Not until five years later was the first Capitol building finished and ready to be occupied. In 1881, the building was destroyed by a fire that broke out during a session of the legislature. When a second Capitol was completed the following year, it was already too small for the quickly growing state.
In 1893, a bill proposing a new statehouse was passed, and a commission appointed to undertake the project. In 1895, Cass Gilbert was selected as the architect after his design won a competition that included 40 entries.
The third - and present - Minnesota State Capitol was an ambitious undertaking for a state such a new state. Channing Seabury, chairman of the Capitol Commission, broke ground for the new building on May 6, 1896. The cornerstone was laid in 1898 by Alexander Ramsey, first territorial governor of Minnesota. After nine years and a cost of $4.5 million, the building was opened to the public on Jan. 2, 1905, one day before the 34th legislature convened.
Classical in design, the third State Capitol reflected Gilbert's study of Italian Renaissance architecture, as well as the popularity of a ground-breaking exhibit at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. That unprecedented collaboration of architects, engineers, artists, sculptors, painters and landscape architects who joined forces to build a "White City" foreshadowed Gilbert's approach to the building of the State Capitol.
The stunning building quickly drew acclaim from around the country. Architects and artists praised its exterior, its huge marble dome, its self-supporting stairways and its magnificently decorated interior. Not only did Gilbert design the structure, he also supervised its construction and its decoration. "In the old days," he said, "the architect, the painter and the sculptor were frequently one and the same. There is no reason why they should not be so now."
Gilbert also commissioned the art to be placed throughout the building, including six large paintings depicting the history of Minnesota in the Governor's Reception Room. One, " The Battle of Nashville," by Howard Pyle, is widely considered one of the best paintings of a battle ever rendered. The building's elaborate senate chambers feature two 32-foot murals that were created by renowned artist Edwin Blashfield. Other artists on Gilbert's team were Kenyon Cox, John LaFarge and Elmer Garnsey, who was responsible for the overall interior decoration of the Capitol including the colorful rathskeller cafe. Featuring vaulted ceilings covered with grape vines, flowers, mythical birds and German mottos, the cafe, which was painted over during the First World War due to anti-German sentiment, has recently been restored to its original glory.
Among Gilbert's other well-known public buildings are the Arkansas and West Virginia state capitols and the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. His design for the Woolworth Building in New York City popularized the skyscraper.
The Minnesota Historical Society by statute is responsible for the works of art in the State Capitol. The Society has operated the historic site program at the Capitol since 1969. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972. Visitors can observe their government in action during hourly tours year round, special events and educational programs.
