The New Mexico State Capitol, located in
Santa Fe at 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, is the
seat of government
The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority".
In most countries, the nation’s capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...
of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. It is the only round
state capitol
This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and is known informally as "the Roundhouse".
Design
![US_Cavalry_Santa_Fe_Territorial_Courthouse_4_June_1900](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/US_Cavalry_Santa_Fe_Territorial_Courthouse_4_June_1900.jpeg)
The building was designed to resemble the
Zia sun symbol
The Zia or Tsʾíiyʾamʾé are an indigenous nation centered at Zia Pueblo (Tsi'ya), a Native American reservation in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The Zia are known for their pottery and use of the sun symbol. They are one of the Keres Puebl ...
when viewed from above, with four entrance wings that protrude from the main cylindrical volume. Architecturally, the Capitol is a blend of New Mexico
Territorial Revival style
Territorial Revival architecture describes the style of architecture developed in the U.S. state of New Mexico in the 1930s. It derived from Territorial Style, an original style which had developed in the 19th century and before, in the wider regi ...
and
neoclassical influences. Above each entrance is a stone carving of the State Seal of New Mexico. The building has four levels, one of which is below ground.
Dedicated on December 8, 1966, the building was designed by
W.C. Kruger and constructed by
Robert E. McKee
Robert Eugene McKee Sr. (1889-1964) was an American construction contractor and founder of the Robert E. McKee General Contractor, Inc. company.
Life and career
McKee was born in Chicago, Illinois, at a young age he and his family moved to St ...
. Its extensive marble-work was installed by the New Mexico Marble and Tile Company. The capitol contains 232,346 square feet (22,000 m
2) and was built for the cost of $4,676,860, or $20 per square foot ($215/m
2).
The capitol houses the
New Mexico State Legislature
The New Mexico Legislature ( es, Legislatura de Nuevo México) is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate.
History
The Ne ...
. The first floor (below ground) contains the semicircular
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
chambers, which are not accessible to the public. The second story, which is the ground floor, includes galleries where visitors can view the House and Senate chambers. The House gallery seats 281 people and is located on the south side of the building. The Senate gallery, which seats 206 people, is on the north side of the building. The two upper floors are mainly offices, with legislative committee offices on the third floor and the offices of the
Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
, Lieutenant Governor, and Legislative Council Service on the fourth floor.
![Great Seal - floor of New Mexico State Capitol Rotunda](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Great_Seal_-_floor_of_New_Mexico_State_Capitol_Rotunda.jpg)
The Rotunda in the center of the building is in diameter and high, spanning the second, third, and fourth floors. The Rotunda is finished with
Travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...
marble native to New Mexico and inlaid with a
turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula . It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gemstone and ornamental stone for thousands of yea ...
and
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...
mosaic
A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...
of the Great Seal of New Mexico. The ceiling skylight is designed to resemble an Indian basket weave, with blue and pale pink
stained glass
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
representing the sky and the earth, respectively. The flags of New Mexico's 33 counties are on permanent display on the fourth floor balcony.
Surrounding the capitol is a lush garden boasting more than 100 varieties of plants, including roses, plums, almonds, nectarines, Russian olive trees, and sequoias. Statues of native
Pueblo
In the Southwestern United States, Pueblo (capitalized) refers to the Native tribes of Puebloans having fixed-location communities with permanent buildings which also are called pueblos (lowercased). The Spanish explorers of northern New Spain ...
peoples carrying pottery and hunting dot the property.
A renovation in 1992 included expansion of the committee rooms,
asbestos abatement
In construction, asbestos abatement is a set of procedures designed to control the release of asbestos fibers from asbestos-containing materials. Asbestos abatement is utilized during general construction in areas containing asbestos materials, p ...
, mechanical and electrical improvements and greater accessibility for handicapped people. The building was rededicated on December 4, 1992.
Capitol Art Foundation
The Legislature created the Capitol Art Foundation in 1991, which has since become one of the building's most endearing features. The Foundation was created to assist in the acquisition of art for permanent, public exhibition in the State Capitol. The Collection features contemporary masterworks by artists who live and work in New Mexico. The Capitol Art collection is housed throughout the public areas of the building on all four floors. The Collection consists of a wide range of media, styles and traditions, including handcrafted furniture groupings. The mission of the Capitol Art Foundation is to collect, preserve, exhibit, interpret and promote appreciation of works of art that represent the history, cultures and art forms of the people of New Mexico.
Governor's Gallery
The Governor's Gallery is located on the fourth floor of the New Mexico State Capitol. It was conceptualized and created by Allan Pearson, cultural liaison to Governor Jerry Apodaca in 1975 as a space to educate the public about the artistic heritage of the state. The first exhibition featured paintings made by
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American modernist artist. She was known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. O'Keeffe has been called the "Mother of Amer ...
. It rotates exhibitions several times a year, with the annual Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts exhibition held every fall.
Previous capitol buildings
The Roundhouse is the fourth Capitol building of New Mexico. The state boasts not only the third-newest capitol in the U.S. (only those in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
and
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, completed in 1969 and 1978, respectively, are newer) but also the oldest, the
Palace of the Governors
The Palace of the Governors ( es, Palacio de los Gobernadores) is an adobe structure built in the Territorial Style of Pueblo architecture on Palace Avenue in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Located within the Santa Fe Historic District along the Santa Fe ...
.
Palace of the Governors
Built in 1610 by the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
, the Palace of the Governors is located on the Santa Fe Plaza. It was the house of government in Santa Fe for nearly three centuries, during periods of Spanish and Mexican rule. When New Mexico was annexed by the United States in 1846, it became the first territorial capitol and was used as such for forty years. Now a museum, the Palace is the only capitol in the U.S. that has housed the governments of three different nations.
1850 Capitol (federal courthouse)
In anticipation of New Mexico's statehood, work began on a new capitol building in 1850. However, the funding for its construction was quickly exhausted, and in 1855 work on the project was halted with only the first story of the building completed. It remained in this state until 1886, when the second story and roof were finally finished. However, by this time a new territorial capitol was already being constructed, so the old building was never officially used as the capitol. (It did temporarily house the territorial government between 1892 and 1900.) Instead, it became the Territorial (later Federal) Courthouse. This building still stands in its original form.
1886 Capitol
left, 1886 Capitol Building
left, As sketched from a distance in 1890
In 1886, a new building replaced the antiquated Palace of the Governors as the territorial capitol. Four stories high, the monumental building was constructed from sandstone quarried in
Lamy
Lamy is a German pen manufacturing company. Josef Lamy, who was a sales representative for Parker Pen in Germany, founded the business in 1930 by purchasing the Orthos pen manufacturer. Lamy was a pioneer in the use of moulded synthetic plast ...
and topped by colossal bronze statues representing Liberty, Justice, Commerce and Industry. It was designed by
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
architect
E. S. Jennison. Six years after its opening, on the evening of May 12, 1892, a fire began and destroyed the structure, though bystanders were able to save most of the archives, books, and furniture. The building was uninsured and its loss cost the state over $200,000.
An investigation concluded the fire was set deliberately, as it reportedly broke out in two separate areas simultaneously and a crucial emergency hose seemed to have been sabotaged. The identity and motive of the perpetrator were never determined.
1900 Capitol (Bataan Memorial Building)
The next capitol building, designed by
Isaac Rapp
Isaac Hamilton Rapp, (1854 – March 27, 1933) was an American architect who has been called the "Creator of the Santa Fe style." He was born in Orange, New Jersey.
Rapp learned his trade working for his father, a sometime architect and building ...
, was not completed until 1900. In the meantime, the government was housed in the Territorial Court House, and the adjoining judicial offices. After the costly loss of the previous building, the new capitol was completed on a shoestring budget of less than $140,000, using salvaged materials and unpaid convict labor from the
Penitentiary of New Mexico
The Penitentiary of New Mexico (PNM) is a men's maximum-security prison located in unincorporated Santa Fe County, south of central Santa Fe, on New Mexico State Road 14. It is operated by the New Mexico Corrections Department.
The complex cons ...
to save money. The building was three stories high with a silver dome,
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
, and
neoclassical portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
. The first story was constructed from sandstone reused from the old capitol, while the second and third floors were yellow brick and the portico was Indiana limestone. It was dedicated on June 4, 1900.
In this building, at 1:35 P.M., January 6, 1912, President
William Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pre ...
signed the proclamation admitting New Mexico as the 47th state of the Union. He then turned to the delegation and said, "Well, it is all over. I am glad to give you life. I hope you will be healthy."
![Bataan Memorial Building Santa Fe](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Bataan_Memorial_Building_Santa_Fe.jpg)
During the next several decades, various additions were built adjacent to the capitol building. In 1950 a major project was begun to unify the architectural appearance of all the buildings in the government complex to the
Territorial Revival style. The dome, which had often been criticized as not appropriate for the state, was removed and a tower was added at the north end of the building. The building is now known as the Bataan Memorial Building, to commemorate the
Bataan Death March
The Bataan Death March (Filipino: ''Martsa ng Kamatayan sa Bataan''; Spanish: ''Marcha de la muerte de Bataán'' ; Kapampangan: ''Martsa ning Kematayan quing Bataan''; Japanese: バターン死の行進, Hepburn: ''Batān Shi no Kōshin'') was ...
. It houses numerous offices of the State Government. The old capitol is almost entirely obscured by the later additions, or in the case of the
pediment
Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape.
Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds.
A pedimen ...
ed portico, removals, but its third-story arched windows are still recognizable.
See also
*
List of state and territorial capitols in the United States
This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...
References
External links
Bataan Memorial Buildingat
* Federal Courthouse at
{{US State Capitols
State capitols in the United States
Buildings and structures in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Government of New Mexico
Government buildings completed in 1966
Government buildings in New Mexico
Tourist attractions in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Territorial Revival architecture
Fires at legislative buildings