Existing comment:
State Library: 1840-1888:
This room was designed in the fashionable Gothic style by the Capitol's final architect David Paton. The room was horizontally divided by the installation of a gallery in 1841-1842 by the carpentry firm of P. Conrad and Brothers. Half of the gallery's original columns were removed to accommodate additional alcove bookcases in the room.
The library was originally under the supervision of Secretary of State William Hill, from 1812-1843. James Fauntleroy Taylor, Jr. became the first State Librarian in 1843 and served until 1854.
At first, the State Library, containing over 2,200 volumes in 1840, served only the Governor, Council of State, legislators, and the three state Supreme Court judges. It opened to the public in 1845.
The room was heated by a fireplace fronted by a Gothic style mantle until 1857 when a coal stove with a mat and fixtures was purchased for $18.75 (?). The librarian's desk, believed to be original to the room, was located near the north window so as to be closest to the heat source.
The library continue to expand until 1888, when the collection, now containing over 40,000 volumes, was relocated. The library and the Supreme Court both moved into the current Labor Building, northwest of the Capitol.
Following meticulous research on historic paint finishes, the pine gallery, cast iron balustrade, and all interior woodwork in this room have been restored with faux oak graining to replicate the room's 1850's appearance.
The room's late 1850s furnishings have been reassembled and are based on documents and itemized accounts found in legislative papers preserved at the State Archives. |