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STATE CA~ITOL RECUNS'fRUCT I ON COMMI SSI ON

A:1CHI TEC'lIS I :mpORT

ON

CAPI TOL 3UILDING CONSTRUCTI ON

January 3, 1939

State Capitol Reconstruction Conunission 317 Capitol Building Salem, Oregon

Gentlemen:

At the suggestion of the Interim Committee, we are submitting this report to you covering some or the technical problems involved in the planning and construction of" the new Capitol Building . All of the facts set forth herein are well known to you, but we are attempting to give a resume of the construction of the Capitol as related to the work of the Al'chltects.

The nation wide competition for the Capitol, won by Trowbridge and ~ivingston and Francis Keally of New York, was based on the idea of entering directly into the l arge monu­mental rotunda, from which traffic would flow to the various business departments on the first floor and to the Executive and Legislative departments on the upper floors. The large rotunda and the two Legislative Chambers were clear l y expressed on the Exter ior. In a monumental building, such as a State

~, Capitol, this is an excell ent basic scheme. " , The Architects, by means of raising the first floor ~ level through the usa of terraces in front, were able by a

slight excavation in the rear to gain an additional ground floor with full outside light to the South . There have been various stories circulated that tho Architects did this because of their mistake in interpreting the grade l evels of Court and State Streets. On the contrary, they deliberately used this clever scheme to gain the extra lighted floor. Their competition drawings show that they used the correct grades for Court and State Stroets. By this method they saved added expenditure in gaining the necessary floor area re­quired.

Aftor they had been aVlarded the contract, and after our appointment as Or egon Associate Architects a further study of actual conditions was mado. Certain changes and additions were decided upon to improve the scheme still further. Some stairs w'ore changed and consolidated; addit iona l public entranc es wore added on the cast and west ends of the building with corridors through to the contral lobbies; tho public lobbies in front of the Senatc 3lld House wore increasod in sizc; and a who l e fourth f loor with exterior light was achicved in the cast , south, and wcst wings, by adding oxtorior windows on

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th(;SQ faces of tho building. Besides these major changos, munorous slight rearrangements of spaces were made to fit tho particular needs of tho various departments , und special partitions , counters , railings, etc., were added for the sarno roason.

It should be borne in mind that any competition , even with the excellent program as worked out 1n this case by the noted Architect, Mr. Carl Gould, can not list the thousand and ono minor proplcms which it is necessary to solvo before a complcto woplcing scheme may be evolved . A competition can only give the main requirements , and inev:i.tably changes and additions arl.) mado in the actual working drawings. The Oregon state Capitol Competition was no exception to this rule .

Due to the time limit for starting a ll construction partly financod by the Public Works Administration, the Architects WC1'e rcquired to produce thc Vlorking drawings for the Capitol in a comparatively short time. By working a l arge stuff full and overtime, th0y we re able to deliver the drawings within the time limit. Bids v/ore roceived from contractors in Portland, Tacoma , Minnonpolls , Chicago, and New York. The Low bid of Ross B. Hnrrunond, Portland, was awarded the contract.

In the meantime, in order to speed up the construction, separate p lans for tho excavation o.nd foundation work had been prepared and the Im'l bid of Roy Houc!:: of Salem was awnrdod the contract for this part of the project, on Septembor 2 , 1936. Ross B. Hammond was awarded his contract on November 28, 1936 and took over the construction work upon the completion of Houck!s contract .

State authorities had furnished the Architects with the size of the property available for building purposes . This property inc l uded a portion of v,hat had once boen Wil lson Park deeded by the Clty of Salem to the State. After construction of tho building had started, it was discovered t hat due to a tGchnicality in the original.. deed, the State property actually did not extend to the lino assumed. The city of Salem kindly rectified this condition and the State property boundary is now where originally intended . 11he city and the Conunission also removod the CfVjlc Band Stand, thus opening up the west approach to tho Cap'i tol.

The city of Salem through its officials, and its Capitol Conunittce which included Govornor-elect Sprague, has given the fincDt cooperation throughout the construction of the Capitol.

Governor Martin , Secretary of State Snell, State Treasurer Holman, other state officials, und all their stuffs, members and ex-members of tho Legis l nturo , and mombers of tho Pross have contributed a groat denl by thoir suggestions and their helpfullncss in working out the many problems involvod in making an efficient working scheme.

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Due to the specd with which the Architects had to prepare the working drawings and specifications, minor details had to be handled ufter the contract was let . To take care of these and the changes made from time to time to imp r ove tho project , and of problems which always arise during the course of construction, change orders were issued increasing or de­creasing the or iginal cost of the proj0ct . These cha.ngcn 'Wore chocked by the Associate Architects , tho Clerk of the Works , tho Architect's Superint~ndent , and the P.W . A. ongineers, as Vloll 08 tho Conunission and the Architects . Some 90 change orders were issued for only u total net addition of about $61 , 000 ., which is n relative l y smal l amount on a two and ono half mill ion dollar project.

Chango orders made to improve the project included such items as the reinstatement of certain alterna.tes removed at the time of bi dding to be sure that bids would not exceed the money avai l able; installation of sidewall{s and terrnces not ori ­ginnlly contemp l ated" unde r this contract; and adding ccrtnin pu.rtitions , counters,etc. , to improve the eff'iciency of work -ing conditions in various departments . Change orders made to take Care of problems arising during tho course of con­struction included such items as increasing or decreaSing the depth of footings as found necessary under actual sol l conditions under e a ch footing; changing of size and location of venti l ating ducts due to actua l jeb conditions; and the many other mino r adjustments made necessary by conditions a r ising dur:tng the course of construction, involving additions or deductions to the original contract price.

Additional contracts we r e entered into with Bar'ry Faulkner and Frnnk Schwars of New York fo r Mural paintings, and with Ulric Ellerhusen and Lo p Friedlandor of New Jersey and New York for Scul pture work. These vlel l known artists had collabornted wi th the Architects on their competition drn .... ,tlngs and wore recommended by the Architocts for the a.ctual conunission. The excellence of tho Vlork of these artists speaks for itself. All of this is completed 0xcopt the murals in the Senate and House buck of the rostrums, and the two largo sculptural groups in front of the Capitol.

Tho gruding . sprinkler system, roads , sidewu l ks, planting, moving and removal of trees and l andscape V10rk in general around the Capitol was laid out and instnlled under the direction of Goorge Otten, of the Landscape Division of the State Highway Department. Contracts for much of this \"IOrk was awarded to the low bid of the Northwest Landscape and Nursery Company of Portlnnd. Th:J.s work, of course, is unfiniShed at the present timo and will probably oxtend into the sununer.

The widening and paving of Cour·t Streot in front of tho Capitol was done under the directton of the State Highway Depart ­ment and paid for from their fW1ds. The plaza and new East and

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West Swmnc r stree ts to tho North of the Capitol wor e I v.. id out by Mr. ott en nnd t h o Sta t e Highway Depurtment in consult a t i on with tho Orogon Associate Archit e cts but pa id for out of tho State Libra r y f unds.

While t h e Archlt r:: cts we r e not direc t ly in cha r ge of this work , tho or i gina l scheme for the north pla za nnd p l a ci ng of the future bui lding s wa s include d in the Archi t c:ct ' s winning competit i on drawings •. This Vias I nt e r modified to some degr ee by the Oregon Associa te Archit e cts to moot a ctunl conditions n t . the s ito .

The movable f urnit ur e nnd furnishings in the Sonate and House , Boa rd of Control Moe ting Room a nd Govornor's Suite was pl anned nnd s pecified unde r tho direc t i on of tho Architects , v/hil o the s pocia l furni turc for t he Secre t a r y of St o. t e J St o. t e Troasure r and Bo ard of Contro l wa s unde r the diroction of tho Oregon Associ a te Archit oct s. Meie r & Fra nk Compa ny , of Portland vms awurded the contract for this work . The r cmnining n ew fur ­niture in the Capitol was unde r the dire ction of the Oregon Associat e Architects , and the wes t Coast Printing and Binding Compa ny of Port l and, a s con t r a c to r , fUrnished the me t a l f Urnitur e and the west Made Desk Company of Portlnnd as sub - contra ctor, the Vlood f u rniture .

With the exc eption of the murul s , sculpture , and l nnd­sca ping nlrea.dy noted, find tho mino r a djustments nl wa ys r equired in a now building , the Capi tol is now compl e t e . We belie ve that a ll who h a ve h ad a part in bring ing it to rea lit y, from the Governor end Legisla tors who au thorized it , t o the l ubor e r s working on tho job, should f oe 1 pr oud to h a ve h ad a chur o in tho a cc omplishment .

As Oregon Associat e Archit ects, we have had the privilege of probably c l os er conta ct with the sta t e Ca.p itol Reconst r uction Corrunission than most others conne cted with the pro ject. We shoul d like t o t uke this me thod of r ecording our knowl odge of t h e fino , uns e lfish s e rvice r onde r ed by thom . We know h ow afton thoy had to l eav e the ir cwn a ffa irs in order to g ive t h e ir time and thought to p r oblems involving the Capitol. The Inte rim Committoe , h andl ing affa irs b e tween r egu l nr s e sslons , wns oblige d to hold mnny extra meotings . We trul y and Since r e l y b e11ev e tha t the r.ommission des e rv es the commendation of tho Sta t e of Oregon for its honest and effici ent h andl i ng of a complex and difficul t p r ob l em. From n pe r son a l s tandpOint, wo wish to exp r e ss our appr ecia tion of the kindnes s and c o op~ration we havo ' r e ce ived from tho Commission, its Secrot a r y , Lognl Advis or, and Cl e rk of tho Wo rks.

·May wo a l s o express our appre cia tion of the fine coop e r ation we h a ve a l ways r e ce ived from Mr. Hockley, of the Public Works Admini s tra tion and his sta ff .

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Th o Gene r a l Contractor , Ross B. Hammond , his s toff a nd his sub - contractors we found at a ll times wi ll ing to do everything possible to make t h e job one of which ti ll CQul d b o proud. They performed their part of tho work in exc ollent munnor .

In closing, may wo express to you, our bo l i e f in the fino \'lOrk given you by your Architocts , Trowbr i dge & Livingston and Francis Kcally and their a ssociates Mr . Sanders and tho l ate Mr. J acoby . The design Ilnd plnns which they worked out have produced a bui l d i ng which VIC f C01 will take its pl nce among t h o distinguished Capito l s of tho Nat ion . We apprc cicto tho privi l ege we have had of se r vIng as their Or egon Associa.tes in chnr gc of archit ectura l a.dmini st r ntion and superintendenc e of construct i on .

WEe : jb File xtro cc - Dr. Dal t on cc - T. L. & K.

Respectful ly submitted,

WHITEHOUSE & CHUHCH

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