The Missouri State Capitol is the home of the

Missouri General Assembly The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are ...

and the

executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state. In poli ...

of government 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 sove ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. Located in

Jefferson City Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of Missouri, United States. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 census, ranking as the 15th most populous city in the state. It is also the county seat of Cole County and the principa ...

at 201 West Capitol Avenue, it is the third capitol to be built in the city. (The previous two were demolished after they were damaged by fire.) The domed building, designed by the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

architectural firm of

Tracy and Swartwout Tracy and Swartwout was a prominent New York City architectural firm headed by Evarts Tracy and Egerton Swartwout. History Evarts Tracy (1868–1922) was the son of first cousins Jeremiah Evarts Tracy and Martha Sherman Greene. His paternal grandmo ...

, was completed in 1917. The capitol’s

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

is the first thing travelers see when approaching Jefferson City from the north. In addition to the state

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 ...

and

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

, the capitol also contains 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, secretary of state,

state treasurer In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...

, state auditor, and some administrative agencies. It is individually listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

and is a contributing property in the Missouri State Capitol Historic District.

Architecture, paintings, and statuary

The capitol exterior

The exterior of the Missouri State Capitol is notable for its architectural features: the Baroque dome, loosely modeled after St. Peter’s basilica in Rome, rising above ground level, topped by sculptor Sherry Fry’s bronze statue of

Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...

, the

Roman goddess Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representa ...

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

; the eight columns on the south portico; the six columns on the north portico; the -wide grand staircase; and the bronze entrance doors, each —at the time, the largest cast since the Roman era. The north facade is embellished by a

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

sculpted by

Hermon Atkins MacNeil Hermon Atkins MacNeil (February 27, 1866 – October 2, 1947) was an American sculptor born in Everett, Massachusetts. He is known for designing the ''Standing Liberty'' quarter, struck by the Mint from 1916-1930; and for sculpting ''Justi ...

illustrating the history of Missouri, a theme continued on the south facade by the artist

Alexander Stirling Calder Alexander Stirling Calder (January 11, 1870 – January 7, 1945) was an American sculptor and teacher. He was the son of sculptor Alexander Milne Calder and the father of sculptor Alexander (Sandy) Calder. His best-known works are ''George Washi ...

. The figures in 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 ...

over the main entrance were sculpted by

Adolph Alexander Weinman Adolph Alexander Weinman (December 11, 1870 – August 8, 1952) was a Germany-born American sculptor and architectural sculptor. Early life and education Adolph Alexander Weinman was born December 11, 1870 at Durmersheim, near Karlsruhe, Germ ...

The capitol interior

The capitol’s first floor, home of the State Museum, is embellished with mural paintings and statuary. A prime attraction is a series of murals painted by Thomas Hart Benton in the House Lounge. The grand staircase is flanked by large heroic bronze statues of Meriwether Lewis and

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Misso ...

, and the third-floor rotunda is the site of the

Hall of Famous Missourians The Hall of Famous Missourians is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. The hall is a series of privately funded bronze busts displayed in the Missouri State Capitol between the Missouri Senate and House chambers. The busts, created by Missouri ...

, a group of bronze busts of prominent Missourians honored for their achievements and contributions to the state. A

whispering gallery The Whispering Gallery of St Paul's Cathedral, London A whispering gallery is usually a circular, hemispherical, elliptical or ellipsoidal enclosure, often beneath a dome or a vault, in which whispers can be heard clearly in other parts of t ...

high within the dome, and a small viewing platform on the dome's roof beneath the statue of Ceres, are areas normally not open to the public except for school tours and other special tours.

The capitol gardens

Statuary is a prominent feature of the capitol’s grounds: heroic

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...

bronze figures sculpted by Robert Aitken (representing Missouri's two great rivers—the

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

and the

), and a tall statue of

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...

made by James Earle Fraser dominate the south entrance. The Sciences and The Arts Fountains, each with four representative figures, adorn the south lawn. Sculptor Karl Bitter’s bronze relief, depicting the signing of the

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

, Monroe and Marbois, and Weinman’s

Fountain of the Centaurs Fountain of the Centaurs is a fountain located on the grounds of the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri, north of the Capitol building. Description The fountain consists of two separate components, the granite pool containing the b ...

are features of the north grounds.

Tourism

The capitol is Jefferson City's leading tourist attraction. It is a destination for school groups who arrive by busloads, particularly during General Assembly sessions. Students fill the galleries to watch the Senate and House of Representatives in action.

History of the structure

Missouri State Capitol and Fountain of the Centaurs-20150920-157

The present capitol, completed in 1917 and occupied the following year, is the third capitol in Jefferson City and the sixth in Missouri history. The first seat of state government was housed in the Mansion House, located at Third and Vine Streets in

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and the second one was in the Missouri Hotel located at Main and Morgan Streets in St. Charles. St. Charles was designated as the temporary capital of the state in 1821 and remained the seat of government until 1826. It was decided that the capitol should be located more in the center of the state and specifically that it should be located on the Missouri River within of the mouth of the Osage. A group was sent out to survey various locations. The present location on top of the bluffs in Jefferson City was chosen because it afforded the best view of the Missouri River of any place which they had seen within the limits prescribed by the Constitution. The fourth capitol (the first in Jefferson City) was made out of brick, two stories tall, measured approximately , and took two years to complete. It was built for approximately $18,500 (). It was called the "Governor's House and State Capitol." This building burned in 1837. The site is now occupied by the present-day

Missouri Governor's Mansion The Missouri Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jefferson City, Missouri. It is located at 100 Madison Street. On May 21, 1969, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is located in the Missouri State C ...

. It was designed by Stephen Hills and modeled on the first

Pennsylvania State Capitol The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown Harrisburg which was designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston in 1902 and completed in 1906 in a Beaux-Arts style with decorative ...

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

. Hills also designed

Academic Hall Academic Hall was the original main building of the University of Missouri. It was dedicated in 1843 and destroyed by fire in 1892. Academic Hall's six Ionic columns, today known as The Columns, stand on Francis Quadrangle as the most recogniz ...

of the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

; the six Ionic columns that survived the 1892

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

that destroyed the building are now the campus's landmark columns at the David R. Francis Quadrangle. The fifth capitol (which was at the current site) was completed in 1840 for approximately $350,000 (), with some claiming that there were bribes and kickbacks. This building also burned on February 5, 1911 when it was struck by lightning. This building was approximately and by 1911, was far too small to meet the needs of the legislators. Missouri Senator William Warner said, "I have no tears to shed over the fact that the building has been destroyed as it was totally inadequate and not in keeping with the requirements of our great state." The original budget called for a building to be constructed for $3 million (equivalent to $ million in ), with an additional $500,000 () allocated for site and furnishings. This was approved in general election by the public by a three-to-one margin, however, the state miscalculated on revenue projections, and ended up collecting $4,215,000 (). All of this money was eventually used for the entire project, which is one of the reasons why the sculptures and artwork are of such high caliber.

Edwin William Stephens Edwin William Stephens or E. W. Stephens (1849–1931) was an American publisher, journalist, and prominent leader in civic and religious affairs from Columbia, Missouri. He founded E.W. Stephens Publishing Company and published a daily news ...

of Columbia served as chair of the Capitol Decoration Committee along with University of Missouri art professor John Pickard. It was also decided that the architect would be selected from a design competition; names were redacted from the submissions so that there would be no local favoritism. A total of 69 architecture firms submitted for the competition, from which a short list of 11 was chosen. Tracy & Swarthout from New York was ultimately selected. MissouriCapitol

The building is symmetrical in plan, giving equal symbolic weight to both the House and Senate (though the interiors of the two chambers differ greatly). The style makes many historical references to the

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, as well as to

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

and

Roman temple Ancient Roman temples were among the most important buildings in Roman culture, and some of the richest buildings in Roman architecture, though only a few survive in any sort of complete state. Today they remain "the most obvious symbol of ...

s; however, the typical column capital is a unique variation on the canonical Corinthian capital, replacing the acanthus leaves with local flora. The stone for the exterior is a dense marble from

Carthage, Missouri Carthage is a city in Jasper County, Missouri, United States. The population was 15,522 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Jasper County and is nicknamed "America's Maple Leaf City." History Jasper County was formed in 1841. ...

. Some of the finer details have eroded after 90 years of freeze/thaw cycles. The state has committed monies to study restoration and prevent further deterioration. The building measures five stories high, long, wide in the center, and wide in the wings. The dome is high and the height of the wings is . It includes of floor space. ;Rotunda chandelier incident In November 2006, the dome chandelier, which had been lowered almost to the floor for maintenance, fell the remaining five feet. The chandelier was damaged by the impact and by the ornamental chains that fell on it. It was sent to St. Louis for repairs. Nearly a full year later, the chandelier was returned and raised in the capitol. The upper lights were also restored, after they had been turned off for four decades due to light damage to the mural above. Created in 1918 by the Guth Lighting Company of St. Louis for a cost of $5,000 (), the chandelier cost $500,000 () to be restored.

Gallery

File:MO capital flood 93.jpg, The Missouri River high out of its banks during the "

Great Flood of 1993 The Great Flood of 1993 (or Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993) was a flood that occurred in the Midwestern United States, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood wa ...

." File:MissouriCapitolgrounds.jpg, View of the Missouri Capitol and grounds from southeast. File:ChandelierRaisingInMissouriCapitol.jpg, The chandelier being raised after restoration. File:Missouri Capitol 1979.jpg, Missouri State Capitol building. File:Missouri State Capitol dome interior 20150920-097.jpg, Interior view of the capitol dome. File:Missouri state capitol with flowering dogwood.jpg, Flowering dogwood trees on the capitol's north side File:Inauguration of Eric Greitens 24.jpg, The Capitol building decorated for the gubernatorial inauguration of

Eric Greitens Eric Robert Greitens (; born April 10, 1974) is a former American politician who was the 56th governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in June 2018 amid allegations of sexual assault and campaign finance impropriety. Born a ...

in 2017 File:Missouri State House.jpg, Capitol building from the front - 2017 File:The Sciences Fountain, Jefferson City MO USA.jpg, The Sciences Fountain File:The Arts Fountain, Jefferson City, MO, USA.jpg, The Arts Fountain with music centered File:2019 Missouri State Capitol 01.jpg, Building restoration in 2019 File:Missouri Capitol Veterans Memorial Fountain.jpg, A fountain dedicated to veterans in the Capitol Complex. The text says "Missouri Veterans Guardians of Liberty" File:Missouri State Capitol - underneath the steps.jpg, Underneath the stairway and main entrance File:Missouri State Capitol - back view.jpg, Close up of the back side of the building

Sources

* Hunter, Marie Nau, ''Missouri and Mississippi: Robert Ingersoll Aitken's Sculpture in Jefferson City, Missouri'', Master's Thesis, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996 * Kvaran & Lockley ''A Guide to the Architectural Sculpture of America'', unpublished manuscript * Pickard, John, ''The Missouri State Capitol: Report of the Capitol Decoration Commission, 1917–1928'', Capitol Decoration Committee, Jefferson City Missouri, 1928

References

External links

Missouri State Capitol
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Missouri State Museum
Missouri Department of Natural Resources {{Authority control Government buildings in Missouri Government of Missouri Government buildings completed in 1917 State capitols in the United States Buildings and structures in Jefferson City, Missouri Government buildings with domes Museums in Jefferson City, Missouri History museums in Missouri Tourist attractions in Jefferson City, Missouri Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Missouri Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Cole County, Missouri Allegorical sculptures in the United States 1917 establishments in Missouri