My route took me near Charleston. Since Charleston is the capital of West Virginia, I figured it was worth taking a quick trip to see the capitol. (See what I did there? Capital is the city, capitol is the building. If I keep repeating these two words, I may one day remember the distinctions.)
I had seen it many times, as I would drive south over the years. That golden dome is really eye-catching.
And, it had a great riverside location. The capitol is on the Kanawha River in the green area right by the I-64 symbol. And, no wonder the dome was so remarkable. The gold-leafed dome is larger than the dome on the United States Capitol!
The state capital moved around between Wheeling and Charleston, Charleston became the capital of West Virginia in 1877.
Interesting facts about West Virginia’s statehood: according to my Preferred Source, it was originally part of Virginia and when Virginia succeeded from the Union during the Civil War, it was occupied by the Union forces. The military units were dispatched from Ohio to western Virginia early in the war to secure access to the coal mines and transportation resources.
It officially became a state by Presidential Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln declared the northwestern portion the northwestern portion of Virginia to be returned to the Union. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state.
From what I could glean from the internet, this capitol is the third building. The first one burned in 1921. A hastily built replacement burned in 1927. Architect Cass Gilbert designed the buff Indiana limestone structure in the Italian Renaissance style. It was completed in 1932.
Cass Gilbert has designed at least three state capitols: West Virginia, Minnesota, and Arkansas. If my loyal readers remember, when I visited Helena, Montana, I found out that he had designed their capitol. They ended up not using his design, so he sold it to Arkansas.
Anyway, I parked and went inside. There was going to be a tour in a bit, so I poked around for a few minutes to see what I could see.
I was impressed that they had a lactation room. Nursing mothers don’t need to hide in the bathroom.
Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture sits outside the door of the Department of Agriculture. The bust is located over the west entry of the capitol.
This large bear was guarding the door to the Attorney General’s office. I don’t know that a large black bear in front of the door goes with the sign that says “Welcome to the office of the Attorney General.” The red velvet ropes don’t help, either.
I guess they have associations for everything!
This is an interesting approach to a time capsule. In the first place, it’s in an obvious place that is clearly labeled. In the second place, it looks like they have left the date of its opening to TBD.
The tour finally began, and we walked through the hallowed halls.
I don’t mean to be pessimistic, but if there is something I would like to see there seems to be at least a 50/50 chance that something will impede the visit. Places are usually closed, but in this case, the building seemed to be undergoing extensive renovations. I must say that they did a marvelous job of enclosing the rotunda area. If you weren’t hoping to gaze up into the dome, you might think it was supposed to look like this.
| Dimensions and facts for West Virginia Capitol building[14] | Measurements |
|---|---|
| Height of dome | 292 ft (89.0 m) |
| Diameter of dome | 75 ft (22.9 m) |
| Floor Space | 525,000 sq ft (48,774.1 m2) |
| Weight of chandelier in dome | 4,000 lb (1,810 kg) |
| Weight of individual bronze doors on each porticoe | 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) |
| Height of eagle on top of dome | 5 ft (1.5 m) |
I mean, according to this chart of fun facts from my Preferred Source about the capitol, the chandelier in the dome weighs two tons. That must be some lighting fixture!
I have seen a good number of state capitols by this point, so I may be wrong on some of the details, but I could swear that these flowers that are used as a repeating motif in the building are stylized renditions of each county’s official flower. However, there is a good chance that I am conflating this capitol with another one.
Hmm…which way should we go?
I guess we’ll go to the House of Delegates.
They are in adjournment. I don’t suppose they will mind us peeking in.
The desks seem rather high tech, as would befit our modern age.
Did you happen to notice the lumps of coal on some of the members’ desks? They need to remember who their sponsors are, I suppose.
Here are some more of those repeated floral motifs.
If I ordered my photos correctly when I put them in the folder, this hall or reception area is outside the chamber. That enormous photo isn’t usually there. It is hiding some of the renovation work being done. I am really impressed with the quality of their enclosures.
I mean, this even adds to the experience. This is what is being worked on. From the old vehicles and the date on the photo, you can almost cut them some slack. 80 years later, the building is bound to need some updating.
The row of torchieres lining the hall lends an elegant air to the building.
On to the Senate.
The Senate is in Recess. How odd…I didn’t notice any playgrounds on the campus. (A bit of retired schoolmarm humor, there.)
When they are in session, this is where they sit.
They had an elegant dome in their chamber. (If the House of Delegates had a dome, I missed taking a photo of it.)
Here are some more of those stylized flowers.
With that, the tour was complete. I had places to go, so I bid adieu to Charleston, West Virginia and continued on my way to Cincinnati.
The weekend was here and I had friends to visit!