Summary of Facts

Chronology of early capitol locations

• Wheeling – 1863-1870 (Linsly Institute Building)
• Charleston – 1870-1875 (first downtown capitol)
• Wheeling – 1875-1885 (Linsly Institute May 1875 to December 1876; structure built by city of Wheeling December 1876 to May 1885)
• Charleston – 1885-present (second downtown capitol May 1885 to January 1921; Pasteboard Capitol March 1921 to March 1927)

Chronology of present capitol complex

• West wing – groundbreaking January 1924, laying of cornerstone May 1924, completion March 1925
• East wing – groundbreaking July 1926, laying of cornerstone November 1926, completion December 1927
• Main unit – groundbreaking March 1930, laying of cornerstone November 1930, completion February 1932 dedication June 20,1932

Costs per unit

• West wing – $1,218,171.32 (7l¢ per cubic foot)
• East wing – $1,361,425.00 (77¢ per cubic foot)
• Main unit – $4,482,623.21 (65¢ per cubic foot)
• Total outlay including land acquisition and beautification – $9,491,180.03

Dimensions

• West wing – 300 feet by 60 feet (four stories and basement)
• East wing – 300 feet by 60 feet (four stories and basement)
• Main unit – 558 feet by 120 feet (three stories and basement)
• Connecting wings – 95 feet by 56 feet (one story and basement)
• Dome – 292 feet high, 75 feet in diameter

Materials

• Exterior walls (wings and main unit) – Indiana select buff limestone
• Dome – lead coated with copper, covered with gold leaf
• Interior floors and walls (wings) – Tennessee marble
• Interior walls (main unit) – Imperial Danby Vermont marble
• Interior floors (main unit) – Italian travertine inlaid with Imperial Danby
• Exterior columns and carvings – Indiana select buff limestone
• Interior columns and carvings – Imperial Danby
• Lighting pedestals (rotunda and foyers) – Belgian black and gold marble
• Lighting pedestals (Senate chambers) – Italian brown marble
• Lighting pedestals (House chambers) – Pink Georgian marble from France
• Light bowls – Italian alabaster
• Chambers’ wainscotting, and steps to daises – verd antique marble
• Legislative desks and daises – black walnut
• Supreme Court bench and all furnishings – American walnut
• Interior doors and woodwork – quartered oak

Significa

• Ground occupied – sixteen acres
• Floor space – 535,000 square feet
• Outside walls – 314,000 cubic feet; 700 carloads
• Steel construction – 4,640 tons; 160 carloads
• Chandelier in dome – weighs 4,000 pounds; 15,000 candle power
• Chandeliers in legislative chambers – 10,000 pieces of rock crystal each
• Columns in porticoes – limestone; 86 tons each
• Columns in foyers – solid marble; 34 tons each
• Bronze doors on porticoes – 2,800 pounds each