Then and Now: December 2012 | STATE LEGISLATURES MAGAZINE
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This Month's Statehouse Photo
This month's photo is of the the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul.
The Minnesota State Capitol celebrated its centennial in 2005. The building is the third to serve as the seatof the state's government. Cass Gilbert, a St. Paul architect, designed the building. At the base of the dome is the gold sculpture officially known as the Progress of the State , but usually referred to as the "Quadriga." The four-horse chariot and figures were Designed by Daniel Chester French and Edward C. Potter. Below are six marble figures representing the virtues. There are 12 stone eagles perched around the dome.
25 Years Ago
Articles from the November/December 1987 issue of State Legislatures:
AMERICA’S CHANGING FACE
“A changing economy and diverse lifestyles mark the current state of the nation. Here’s a look at demographic trends, and what they mean for state legislatures.”
RESPONDING TO THE HOUSING CRISIS
“Affordable housing is becoming increasingly elusive—even for people with jobs. Some state lawmakers are taking action, but they say they can’t do much without help from the federal government.”
SSC: THE BIGGEST PRIZE
“States have competed for job-creating projects before, but the Department of Energy’s proposed superconducting supercollider is the king of economic prizes.”
Did You Know?
Pennsylvania lawmakers moved around a bit before settling into their state capitol. After meeting in temporary quarters (including taverns) in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, they occupied Independence Hall in Philadelphia, then moved to a courthouse in Lancaster in 1799. Harrisburg was designated the capital in 1812, and 10 years later, legislators moved into their first official state capitol along the Susquehanna River. But it was destroyed by fire in 1897, so a Methodist church sufficed for a while. Finally, in 1906, the current state capitol was built. Often called a “Palace of Art,” it features lavish statues, mosaic tiles, a grand staircase modeled after the Paris Opera House and a dome modeled after St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome. The dome weighs 52 million pounds and is covered in green-glazed tile. President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the building, calling it “the handsomest state capitol I have ever seen.” Condé Nast recently ranked it No. 1 on its list of amazing state capitols.
—From “A Celebration of State Capitols” by Richard Gibson, Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee, and condenast.com
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