Then and Now: July/August 2012 | STATE LEGISLATURES MAGAZINE

This Month's Statehouse Photo

This month's photo is of the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston. The building, constructed at a cost of just under $10 million, was dedicated on June 20, 1932, the 69th anniversary of the state's creation. The building was designed by Ohio-borm architect Cass Gilbert, who designed the Woolworth building in New York City, the worlds first skyscraper. His work also includes capitols in Minnesota and Arkansas, and the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. The exterior of the classical style building is done in buff Indiana limestone. The 293-foot dome--five feet higher than the U.S. Capitol dome--is gilded in gold leaf. Much of the 535,000 square feet of interior space in done in marble. The building faces the Kanawha River. The grounds feature statues of Abraham Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson, who was born in what was to become West Virginia. .

Sources: West Virginia Division of Culture and History; wikipedia.com 
 

25 Years Ago

Articles from the August 1987 issue of State Legislatures:

RE-EMPLOYING UNEMPLOYMENT FUNDS
“Dissatisfied with simply maintaining the unemployed with unemployment insurance funds, states are searching for new ways to get around the inflexibilities in the system and put people back to work.”

DO RABBITS HAVE RIGHTS?
 “As public outcry against the use of animals in research and testing grows, state legislators are being asked to take a more active role in regulating animal research within their states.”

IT’S HIP TO BE HEALTHY
“The wellness revolution, in which Americans everywhere are exercising more and eating less, is moving from the health club to the statehouse.”

Did You Know?

The North Dakota Capitol was constructed after a fire destroyed the first capitol on the night of Dec. 28, 1930. In the midst of the Great Depression, the Legislative Assembly decided to build a tower rather than a traditional domed capitol for economic reasons. It was a bargain, costing only 46 cents per cubic foot to build. It was finished for less than its $2 million limit. The 19-story art deco tower sits on 132 acres. On a clear day, from the observation deck on the top floor, you can see for 35 miles.

—From “A Celebration of State Capitols” by Richard Gibson and the North Dakota Office of Management and Budget