Minnesota’s State Capitol Building

Our Minnesota state capitol building is located in St. Paul. It was completed in 1905 and was praised throughout the United States at the time as being one of the most beautiful capitol buildings in the country.

The following slides will take you on a trip into the past as well as the present. You will see buildings that you can visit and also buildings that are no longer standing. This will be a trip into Minnesota history.

When the Minnesota Territory was organized in 1849 there was no capitol building. The legislature held its first meetings in the Central House, a small hotel in St. Paul.

The first capitol building was completed in 1854. (Minnesota later became a state in 1858.) This building was enlarged twice but was destroyed by fire in 1881.

The second state capitol was built. During this time the state flag was adopted and the Lady Slipper was chosen as the state flower. The building was too small after a few years and a committee was formed in 1891 to consider constructing a third capitol!

In 1895 Cass Gilbert was selected as the architect for the structure. He planned to have the capitol face south overlooking the main business district of St. Paul. Groundbreaking took place in 1896. The total cost of the capitol was $4.5 million dollars.

The cornerstones were laid for the capitol building in 1898.

White marble from quarries in Georgia were shipped to Minnesota. The white marble was used inside and outside of the capitol building.

The dome for the capitol building was completed in 1901.

Six men were killed during the capitol’s construction.

Red pipestone from Pipestone, Minnesota was also added to the interior of the building.

The capitol today looks quite different from Mr. Gilbert’s original plans. The capitol grounds are much smaller than he wished. The challenge today is the increase in parking and office space.

At the base of the dome, on the front of the capital, is a sculpture called the “Gold Horses.” It symbolizes the triumph of government and prosperity. The statue in the center is called Prosperity. In one hand he holds a horn of plenty containing the fruits, grains and other vegetables grown in Minnesota. His other hand holds a banner bearing the name of the state. He is standing on a chariot drawn by four horses. The figures are made of sheet metal covered with copper and gold leaf.

The columns used in the capitol building are also made of Georgian marble. Each column is decorated with symbols from Minnesota – the Lady Slipper flower, the bald eagle and the striped gopher.

…another view of the columns used in the interior of the capitol building.

When you enter the capitol building you will find yourself in the rotunda at the center of the building. This large round area is 60 feet wide and 142 feet high. It extends from the first floor up to the dome. In the center of the floor is a large glass star set in brass and lighted from below. Around the wall of the rotunda are glass cases containing flags that were carried by Minnesota soldiers in many wars.

The star in the rotunda floor can be seen even better from the second floor balcony. Notice that the star has eight points.

We are now on the second floor of the rotunda. You can see life-size statues of Minnesotans who served in the Civil War. Look at the two columns of Minnesota granite. Each column is 20 feet high and 3 feet wide and weighs over 9 ½ tons! The red stripe above the columns is the red pipestone from southern Minnesota.

If you look straight up from the rotunda floor you can see four pictures painted on the ceiling of the dome. These panels were painted in Paris, France and shipped to St. Paul.

As you walk through the capitol building you will see many murals representing the history of the state.

The Senate Chamber takes up the west wing of the capitol building. On the platform at the front are desks for the Lieutenant Governor and the Senate officers. Facing them are desks of the 67 Senators.

The largest room in the capitol is the Chamber of the House of Representatives. It is in the north wing on the second floor. The 135 state representatives meet here to pass laws for the state. The speaker’s desk is set in front of 8 white marble pillars trimmed in gold.

The two grand staircases leading from the rotunda to the second floor are built of Greek and French marble.

At the top of the grand staircase leading to the east wing is the Supreme Court Chamber. The seven justices sit at the long desk at the front of the room.

The Governor’s Reception Room is in the west wing. Its walls and ceiling are decorated with carved white oak woodwork covered with dull gold. The paintings on the walls depict Minnesota history through the ages. The chandeliers were imported from Austria.

The Minnesota State Capitol is one of the most impressive in the nation. The capitol is a part of the history of the state and is also the center of Minnesota state government. Enjoy your trip to the capitol!