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First
Capitols
Described
by one Austin visitor as "without any pretensions to architectural
beauty," Austin's first Capitol was built of Bastrop plank
lumber on a hilltop west of Congress Avenue.
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The next
Capitol in Austin was located at Capitol Square and completed
in 1853. When this Greek Revival structure burned in late 1881,
plans were already underway for a new Capitol. The Capitol Board
which was meeting in the building at the time fire broke out,
quickly moved the plans to safety. |
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The
Architect
The
Texas State Capitol was designed by architect Elijah E. Myers,
architect of the Michigan and Colorado Capitols, who won a
nationwide design competition for the project in 1881. Contractors
were offered an interesting trade: three million acres in
the Texas Panhandle in exchange for constructing the Capitol.
This acreage would become the famous XIT Ranch.
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Construction
Construction
on the Capitol began in February 1882. Originally, the exterior
was to be limestone, but the stone that was quarried streaked
when exposed to air. Granite, a harder, more expensive stone,
was proposed. The debate delayed construction for almost two
years. Finally the decision was made to use "Sunset Red" granite
donated by its owners in what is now Marble Falls, Texas.
The state gave the stone to the contractor along with 1,000
convicts to quarry it. When, in 1885, the granite cutter's
union objected to the use of convict labor and boycotted,
the contractor responded by importing experienced stonecutters
from Scotland.
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The
Goddess
By
mid-1887, the walls were up and the dome began to take shape.
In February 1888, the Goddess of Liberty statue was placed
on the dome. When the Capitol was finished, it measured over
310 feet in height, had 392 rooms, 924 windows and 404 doors.
It took over 1,000 people, including engineers, contractors,
laborers and craftsmen, seven years to build at a cost of
$3,744,600.
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The
Dedication
The
Capitol opened to the public on San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1888.
In May, week-long festivities marked the dedication and were
organized to celebrate the "splendor that was befitting the
glory of Texas and the grandeur of that building." Special streetcar
lines were built to encampment grounds set up one mile from
the city. Drill team competitions, military displays, band concerts
and fireworks were among the attractions. Crowds lined Congress
Avenue and filled the Capitol grounds to watch the parade and
ceremonies.
Temple
Houston, son of Sam Houston, accepted the building at the
dedication: "This
building fires the heart and excites reflections in the minds
of all... the architecture of a civilization is its most enduring
feature, and by this structure shall Texas transmit herself
to posterity..."
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