BGuthrie Photos: PA -- Harrisburg -- State Capitol

PA -- Harrisburg -- State Capitol:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. SCAPP1_140705_013.JPG: Old Capitol Building When the decision was made in 1810 to designate Harrisburg the Pennsylvania State Capital, the prophecy of John Harris Jr.'s town plan of 1785 was realized. At that time, he donated four acres of land to the Commonwealth, a portion of which is now Capitol Park, to induce the future location of the state seat of government there. The Legislature's decision of moving the Capital, temporarily located at Lancaster was the result of sharp discourse over whether Pennsylvania's seat of government should be returned to its original location of Philadelphia, or moved to one of a number of locations farther inland. Harrisburg was finally selected, it was argued, because of the town's "very pleasant and handsome" setting and the industrious spirit shown in having grown quickly since its founding only 25 years earlier. With no funds allocated to build a Capitol, the Legislature first met in the Dauphin County Courthouse on Market Street. In 1816, the Commonwealth provided for the erection of a permanent State Capitol on a hill to be purchased from the heirs of the late U.S. Senator, William Maclay, just north of John Harris' four-acre reserve. English-born architect and contractor Stephen Hills won a competition to design and construct the building which was completed and occupied in 1822. The Old Capitol served the Commonwealth well. U.S. Presidents Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, Lincoln, Grant and Hayes as well as the Prince of Wales, Daniel Webster and the Marquis de Lafayette had all been within its walls. On February 2, 1897, it was totally destroyed by fire.
2. SCAPP1_140705_020.JPG: Present State Capitol Building Upon the destruction of the Old Capitol Building in 1897, the sense of loss was quickly replaced by a new spirit of community advancement for which the construction of a new Capitol Building would act as catalyst. in order to continue the operations of state government, a plain and unadorned interim Capitol, designed by Henry Ives Cobb, was hastily erected on a "shoe-string" budget on the same site as the old. Public criticism of this building resulted in the establishment of the Capitol Building Commission in 1901, charged to methodically plan for the expansion and elaboration of Cobb's interim structure that would be cloaked within the walls of the new building. Philadelphia architect Joseph Miller Huston won the design competition. His intent was to design a Capitol that applied the artistic expression of the Italian Renaissance to a new Renaissance in America. With the 272 foot high dome modeled after that of Michelangelo's St. Peter's in Rome, and the main stairway in the rotunda after the Grand Opera House in Paris, a building emerged that was magnificent...a "Palace of Art," rich with marble, gold, tile, murals and sculpture produced by such internationally prominent artists, sculptures and artisans as Abbey, Barnard, Oakley, Van Ingen and Mercer. Heralded by President Theodore Roosevelt upon its dedication on October 4, 1905 as "the handsomeness building I ever saw," the Capitol's grandeur, which may endlessly be described, unleashed an unparalleled movement of civic improvement and pride in Harrisburg that would build the foundations of the great City that we know today.
3. SCAPP1_140705_052.JPG: In God We Trust Governor Pollock James Pollock From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Pollock (September 11, 1810 – April 19, 1890) was the 13th Governor of the State of Pennsylvania from 1855 to 1858. ... Christian faith James Pollock possessed a strong faith in God. Concurring with Secretary Chase's instructions, in his 1863 report to the Secretary of the Treasury, he wrote, "We claim to be a Christian nation -- why should we not vindicate our character by honoring the God of Nations…Our national coinage should do this. Its legends and devices should declare our trust in God -- in Him who is "King of Kings and Lord of Lords." The motto suggested, "God our Trust," is taken from our National Hymn, the Star-Spangled Banner." The sentiment is familiar to every citizen of our country -- it has thrilled the hearts and fallen in song from the lips of millions of American Freemen. The time for the introduction of this or a similar motto, is propitious and appropriate. ‘Tis an hour of National peril and danger -- an hour when man's strength is weakness -- when our strength and our nation's strength and salvation, must be in the God of Battles and of Nations. Let us reverently acknowledge his sovereignty, and let our coinage declare our trust in God." Mr. Pollock served as Vice President of the American Sunday School Union from 1855 until his death in 1890. In that role he had the distinction of presiding over more mission business meetings than any man in the history of AMF other than the first president. Greatly respected by his fellow managers, it was recorded that ‘he was always eager to do his Lord's business with earnestness and dispatch' and while conscious of the power of his masterful mind and loving heart, his fellows managers 'most appreciated his depth of consecration.'
4. SCAPP1_140705_056.JPG: Freedom can exist only in the society of knowledge Benjamin Rush
5. SCAPP1_140705_057.JPG: Where liberty dwells there is my country Franklin
6. SCAPP1_140705_060.JPG: Trust for authority Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lucretia Coffin Mott (January 3, 1793 – November 11, 1880) was an American Quaker, abolitionist, a women's rights activist, and a social reformer.
7. SCAPP1_140705_063.JPG: There is a time to pray and a time to fight [Peter] Muhlenberg
8. SCAPP1_140705_070.JPG: May god preserve the Constitution and the union [President James] Buchanan James Buchanan From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia James Buchanan, Jr. (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th President of the United States (1857–1861), serving immediately prior to the American Civil War. He is, to date, the only president from Pennsylvania and the only president to remain a lifelong bachelor. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States House of Representatives and later the Senate and served as Minister to Russia under President Andrew Jackson. He was also Secretary of State under President James K. Polk. After he turned down an offer for an appointment to the Supreme Court, President Franklin Pierce appointed him minister to the Court of St. James's, in which capacity he helped draft the Ostend Manifesto. Buchanan was nominated by the Democratic Party in the 1856 Presidential election. Throughout most of Pierce's term, he was stationed in London as a minister to the Court of St. James's and therefore was not caught up in the crossfire of sectional politics that dominated the country. His subsequent election victory took place in a three-man race with John C. Fr�mont and Millard Fillmore. As President, he was often called a "doughface", a Northerner with Southern sympathies, who battled with Stephen A. Douglas for the control of the Democratic Party. Buchanan's efforts to maintain peace between the North and the South alienated both sides, and the Southern states declared their secession in the prologue to the American Civil War. Buchanan's view of record was that secession was illegal, but that going to war to stop it was also illegal. Buchanan, an attorney, was noted for his mantra, "I acknowledge no master but the law." By the time he left office, popular opinion was against him, and the Democratic Party had split. Buchanan had once aspired to a presidency that would rank in history with that of George Washington. However, his inability to identify a ground for peace or address the sharply divided pro-slavery and anti-slavery partisans with a unifying principle on the brink of the Civil War has led to his consistent ranking by historians as one of the worst presidents in American history. Historians in both 2006 and 2009 voted his failure to deal with secession the worst presidential mistake ever made.
9. SCAPP1_140705_085.JPG: Government is of divine origin and any government is free where laws ryle and the people are a party to those laws. William Penn
10. SCAPP1_140705_091.JPG: Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Franklin
11. SCAPP1_140705_098.JPG: Old Brick Capitol The first State Capitol on this site was designed and built by Stephen Hills, 1819-1821. It was first occupied by the Legislature on January 2, 1822, and was used until destroyed by fire, February 2, 1897.
12. SCAPP1_140705_132.JPG: I've always thought those sea shell jock straps must chafe like hell
13. SCAPP1_140705_148.JPG: Mining
14. SCAPP1_140705_152.JPG: History
15. SCAPP1_140705_155.JPG: The Declaration
16. SCAPP1_140705_168.JPG: Agriculture
17. SCAPP1_140705_175.JPG: Education
18. SCAPP1_140705_179.JPG: The Constitution
19. SCAPP1_140705_223.JPG: John Frederic Hartranft John F. Hartranft From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Frederick Hartranft (December 16, 1830 – October 17, 1889) was the 17th Governor of Pennsylvania from 1873 to 1879 and a Union Major General who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the American Civil War.
20. SCAPP2_140705_002.JPG: The Pennsylvania Capitol A National Historic Landmark The Moravian mosaic tile floor of the Pennsylvania State Capitol has close to 400 picture tiles. Henry Chapman Mercer, a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania designed and created mosaics, representing 254 scenes, artifacts, animals, birds, fish, insects, industries and workers from Pennsylvania history. While some may be duplicated, they are intricate pieces of art. The above was from http://www.pacapitol.com/PDF%20Files/Mosaic_Tile_Floor.pdf
21. SCAPP2_140705_060.JPG: Preserving Pennsylvania's Historic Civil War Flags One of the Capitol Preservation Committee's first endeavors was preserving Pennsylvania's 390 Civil War flags and the 22 Spanish-American War flags. The Committee is honored to be the custodian of these historic treasures, to tell the story of their conservation, and to share their important place in Pennsylvania history with future generations. The History of Pennsylvania's Civil War Flags: In the initial days of the Civil War, Pennsylvania's legislature convened in special session to provide for the defense of the Commonwealth. Among the new acts passed was one authorizing Governor Andrew G. Curtis to procure battle flags for each regiment that Pennsylvania contributed to the Union Army. Two Philadelphia firms, Horstmann Brothers and Evans & Hassall, were contracted to supply Pennsylvania's battle flags. Following army regulations, the flags were made of silk and measured six feet square. There were several different types of flags issued to the troops. National colors followed a stars and stripes pattern, while state colors featured the state coat of arms painted among the stars in the canton. Regimental colors displayed either the national eagle on a blue field for infantry units or crossed cannon on a yellow field for artillery units. Cavalry standards, which were much smaller and carried on horseback, displayed the state coat of arms on a blue background. During battle, color-guards who carried the flags remained several feet back from the firing line to shield the flag from harms way and to avoid being shot by their own men. The flags played a crucial role on the field because their large size helped soldiers to see their regiment's position. they also represented an integral part of a regiment's identify and were a symbol of honor, which was often defended with the lives of the most courageous soldiers. Losing a flag during battle was the ultimate disgrace to a regiment. In fact, there are numerous accounts of proud soldiers laying down their arms to take up the flag from a fallen bearer, or risking their lives to rescue the flag from capture. Post-War History: After the war, the Pennsylvania's military department was responsible for collecting the state-issued flags. Many of the colors were collected as regiments mustered out of service, while others had to be obtained from officers and color-sergeants who had taken their sacred standards home. On July 4, 1866, the battle flags were officially returned to the custody of the Commonwealth and stored in the old State Arsenal Building in Harrisburg. In 1872, the Legislature appropriated funds for a flag room on the second floor of the Hills Capitol (1822-1897). The room was completed a year later and the flags were put on public display -- each labeled with the name of its regiment since many were battle-scarred beyond recognition. The flags remained in the Capitol for two decades until the room became overcrowded by the growing collection. In 1893, the Legislature made an appropriation to construct a new building that would accommodate the state's expanding library collection, executive offices, and Civil War battle flags. Upon completion of the new Executive Library and Museum Building in 1894 (renamed the Speaker Matthew J. Ryan Legislative Office Building in 1999), the flags were transferred to a museum room located on the second floor. Displayed unfurled in four long glass cases, the tattered banners fortunately remained safe when the Hills Capitol burned to the ground in 1897. The collection expanded over the years with continuing donations from veterans' groups, and eventually filled the space in the museum room. After the current Capitol was built in 1906, Adjutant-General Thomas J. Stewart recommended that the flags be moved to specially designed exhibit cases in the Capitol rotunda. On Flag Day, June 14, 1914, a parade was held to commemorate the transfer of the flags to the Capitol rotunda where they remained on display until the 1980s. In 1981, the 87th Pennsylvania, a group of Civil War reenactors, expressed interest in raising money to have their unit's original battle flag conserved. The flag was removed from its case, treated, and unveiled at the rededication ceremony for the 75th Anniversary of the Capitol later that year. The publicity generated from the event drew support for a project to conserve the entire collection. Accordingly, House Speaker, Matthew J. Ryan, and Democratic Leader, K. Leroy Irvis, supported a "Save the Flags" project. In 1982, the Capitol Preservation Committee initiated a request for public support of a flag preservation project and established a textile conservation laboratory near the Capitol.
22. SCAPP2_140705_146.JPG: From http://artandopinion.tumblr.com/post/15022764094/4-mural-sketches-by-austin-edwin-abbey : Science "I am what is, what shall be, what hath been. My veil hath been disclosed by none. The fruit which I have brought forth is this -- The Sun is born." 4 Mural Sketches by Austin Edwin Abbey In 1902, Abbey was commissioned to decorate the then new Harrisburg, Pennsylvania State Capitol building. His paintings included the four forces of civilisation: Art, Justice, Science, and Religion. The works were first exhibited at the University of London before being installed in the capitol building six years later.
23. SCAPP2_140705_149.JPG: Religion "For religion, pure religion I say standeth not in wearing of a monk's cowl but in righteousness, justice and welldoing."
24. SCAPP2_140705_152.JPG: Justice "Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society. It ever has been, ever will be pursued until it be obtained or until liberty be lost in the pursuit."
25. SCAPP2_140705_155.JPG: Art "Art deals with things forever incapable of definition and that belong to love, beauty, joy, and worship. The shapes, powers and glory of which are forever building, unbuilding and rebuilding in each man's soul and in the soul of the whole world."
26. SCAPP2_140705_163.JPG: Here stood Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, October fourth 1906. The day he dedicated this building.
27. SCAPP2_140705_238.JPG: Wyoming
28. SCAPP2_140705_329.JPG: D. George Keith - SCOTTISH Converted Quaker who did much to spread the doctrine. He came to the Americas and served as Surveyor General for New Jersey.
29. SCAPP2_140705_533.JPG: Iron
30. SCAPP3_140705_009.JPG: Gettysburg, November 1863
31. SCAPP3_140705_083.JPG: Philadelphia May 1787
32. SCAPP3_140705_111.JPG: Washington Marching Through Philadelphia going down to Brandywine
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Wikipedia Description: Pennsylvania State Capitol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The State Capitol of Pennsylvania, located in downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is the seat of government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style, with strong Italian Renaissance overtones, by architect Joseph M. Huston. The Capitol houses the Pennsylvania General Assembly and chambers for the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania (which also has chambers in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), as well as the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and other state officials.

History:

Since its construction in 1906, the Capitol has remained a "palace of art" as envisioned by its creator, architect Joseph M. Huston. Over the years, however, the Capitol has seen many changes and improvements, along with the normal wear and tear from its thousands of annual visitors. In 1982, the state Legislature created a committee to oversee restoration and preserve the historic integrity of the building along with its historic contents. Since then, the Capitol Preservation Committee has restored and preserved many areas and artifacts within the building, and continues ongoing efforts so that future generations can enjoy the splendor of the Capitol.

On October 4, 1906 Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker dedicated the new State Capitol Building and President Theodore Roosevelt was the orator of the day. Following a tour of the new building, Roosevelt complimented the Governor on this monumental project. A crowd of more than 50,000 people came on special Pennsylvania Railroad excursion trains to Harrisburg to hear President Roosevelt dedicate the building. His actual words differ according to different newspaper accounts: The Harrisburg Star Independent (October 5, 1906) claimed Roosevelt declared it to be the "most handsome state Capitol I have ever seen and I don't believe that there is a finer on earth," while the Harrisburg Patriot News (same date) reported that he simply claimed it to be "the handsomest building I ever saw." The Capitol was built and furnished at a cost of $13 million. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

Description:

The state Capitol was architecturally inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and many consider it the pinnacle of the Commonwealth as the finest state capitol building in the United States. The brilliantly restored rotunda and Senate and House of Representatives Chambers are particularly exquisite spaces adorned with marble, murals, gold leaf and stained glass.

In Huston's original concept of the Capitol, he strove to unite architecture, sculpture and painting into an interpretation of Pennsylvania's rich industrial, economic and social heritage. While the overall structure is unified in design, different Renaissance styles are featured in the Capitol's public rooms. The House chamber is Italian in design, the Senate chamber is inspired by French styles, and the d�cor in the Governor's reception room is based upon English design. The Capitol's five-story exterior is faced with handsome Vermont granite and the elegant dome is composed of green glazed terra cotta tile.

The building is adorned with sculpture, most notably the two groups, Love and Labor, the Unbroken Law and The Burden of Life, the Broken Law by sculptor George Grey Barnard, murals by Violet Oakley and Edwin Austin Abbey and a magnificent tile floor by Henry Mercer which tells the story of the state of Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg serves as an icon of the State, representing history, government, and the richness of its "common wealth."

Structure facts:

* Architectural Style: Beaux Arts / American Renaissance
* Structure Type: highrise, dome (5 story front facade)
* Construction Dates: Started 1901, Finished 1906
* Height: 272 feet (82.9 m)
* Floor Area: 715,150.91 ft� (217,978 m�)
* Address: North & Commonwealth Streets, Harrisburg, PA

Location:

The Pennsylvania State Capitol is located on the grounds of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex in downtown Harrisburg. The block it sits on is bordered by West Third Street on the west-southwest, North Street on the north-northwest, Commonwealth Avenue on the east-northeast, and Walnut Street to the south-southeast. The building can be seen from I-83, though the high-rise office buildings of downtown have blocked much of the view east of the Susquehanna River.
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