Visit Georgia's State Capitol: a capitol idea! [1987]

A. Statue representing freedom
B. Eugene Talmadge C. Liberty Bell D. Laying of cornerstone E. General John B.
Gordon on horseback

House of Representatives
Georgia, the last of the 13 British colonies established on the Atlantic seaboard, was founded by James Edward Oglethorpe with 114 original settlers on February 12, 1733, at the present site of the city of Savannah. Oglethorpe and a group of 20 friends had been granted a charter by King George II on June 9, 1732, to establish a colony named after the king.
Savannah, Augusta, Heard's Fort in Wilkes County, Louisville, Milledgeville and Macon have all been the center of Georgia's government during our state's history.
Although the Georgia Legislature had met in Atlanta as early as 1868, the $1,000,000 for construction of Georgia's current Capitol building was not provided until 1883. Capitol construction began in October of 1884. The erection of the Capitol was accomplished within the budget, leaving $118.43 in the treasury. A formal dedication ceremony was held July 4, 1889.
A Classic Renaissance design by the architectural firm of Edbrooke and Burnham of Chicago, the Capitol was built by the construction firm of Miles and Home of Toledo, Ohio.
Indiana oolitic limestone, with its small round grains, was chosen as the chief material in the building of the Capitol.
The tremendous expense of quarrying Georgia marble made it impractical to use the marble on the exterior of the building, although Georgia marble was used for the interior finish of walls, floors and steps, as well as the cornerstone.

A Brief Histoa~

Every effort was made to obtain material from Georgia, such as wood and iron, for the building of the Capitol.
Today the Capitol fronts west on Washington Street, approached by a wide concrete plaza. A colossal four-story portico, with stone pediment, supported by six Corinthian columns set on large stone piers, dominates the facade. Georgia's Great Seal, with two figures on each

side representing Georgia's agriculture and commerce, is engraved on the pediment. The United States and Georgia flags are flown daily above the stonework. The other three entrances to the Capitol have two stone pillars each.
The greatest length of the building north and south is 347 feet, 9 inches, and the greatest depth through the center is 272 feet, 4lfz inches.

Grand Stairs risinf: to the third floor

The open rotunda extends from the second floor through the upper stories to a height of 237 feet, 4 inches. A gilded dome measuring 75 feet in diameter sits above the crossing. The cupola is topped with a female statue, holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, representing freedom. The Greek-inspired statue, commemorating the war dead, stands 15 feet high and weighs 2,000 pounds.
Renovation of the Capitol was authorized by the Georgia Legislature in 1956. Forty-three ounces of native gold were donated by the citizens of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County, Georgia, and applied to the Capitol dome. The gold arrived by wagon train from Dahlonegascene of America's first gold rush in 1828-and was presented to the governor on August 7,1958.
During National Historic Preservation Week in 1977, the Capitol was dedicated a National Historic Landmark. It was cited by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior as an outstanding structure both architecturally and historically.
In 1981 a fresh application of gold, necessitated by deterioration of the original gold leafing, was placed on the dome. In the campaign, originated by the Dahlonega/Lumpkin County Jaycees and headed by the Jaycees of Georgia, all Georgians had the opportunity to contribute funds to the "Make Georgia a Shining Example" project, which succeeded in restoring the dome to its original brilliance.

The Capitol Grounds

The Capitol grounds, enclosed by stone walls,

were planned with a variety of trees, flowers,

monuments and markers.

The most recent statue, dedicated in 1975, is

of Richard Brevard Russell, Jr., who served as

Georgia's youngest elected governor and as a

United States senator for 38 years.

A statue of General John B. Gordon on

horseback, with the inscription "Governor-

Patriot-Senator," is located at the extreme north-

west comer. It honors the first governor to

occupy the Capitol in Atlanta.

On the southwest comer, a bronze statue

commemorates Governor and Mrs. Joseph E.

Brown. Brown, elected four times, served as

governor at Milledgeville from 1857 to 1865. He

was also a United States senator and chief

justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.

In the center of the plaza leading to the main

entrance, a statue honors Thomas E. Watson

with the inscription "author, lawyer, and

historian." Watson, a powerful influence in

Georgia politics for half a century, served in

both the United States Senate and the House of

Representatives and was the father of Rural

Free Delivery.

On both sides of the plaza, the Atlanta

Chapter of the United Daughters of the Con-

federacy placed large metal markers recounting

the "Siege of Atlanta," t.J,.e "Evacuation of

Atlanta," the "Battle of Ezra Church," and "The

Transfer of Command."

Adjacent to the markers are two bronze can-

nons cast at Seville, Spain in 1856, which were

originally located in the Philippine Islands. The

guns were given to the state by the Navy

Department in honor of Lt. Thomas M. Brumby

of Marietta, Georgia, "who represented our Navy

in the surrender negotiations at Manila and

raised the United States flag over the city walls,"

following the Spanish-American War.

The historic marker on the Washington Street

side of the Capitol, near the Gordon monument,

commemorates the Capitol grounds as the site

of Atlanta's first City Hall (1853-1883). During

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troops camped there. It was from that site that

a notice was sent on September 6, 1864, to the

civilian population to assemble for registration

and eviction from the city.

Near the southeast comer of the grounds, a

statue of Governor Eugene Talmadge, who was

elected four times, bears the following inscrip-

tion: "I may surprise you-But I shall never

deceive you."

Black Georgians' struggle for political power is

symbolized in an artistic sculpture on the north-

east side of the grounds. Commissioned in

Ma.Il.li uf 1970 uy lln:: Geuerctl ~enruly':>

Legislative Black Caucus, it bears the title

"Expelled Because of Their Color." The

sculpture is "dedicated to the memory of the 33

black state legislators who were elected, yet

expelled from the Georgia House because of

their color in 1868."

Other markers and monuments include a

replica of the Statue of Liberty, a monument to

the Spanish War Veterans and a Flame of

Freedom Memorial.

A replica of the Liberty Bell, one of 53 cast

in France in 1950, is located in Plaza Park

across Washington Street from the Capitol.

Inside the Capitol
Originally consisting of three main stories with a basement used as a stable, the Capitol was occupied early in its history by the adjutant general, also known as "Keeper of the Buildings," who lived with his family in rooms on the top floor. As the size of government increased, the basement was converted to offices and the floors renumbered. The basement is now the first floor with the main entrance on the second floor. The offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State are located on the second floor.
Inside and around the rotunda on the main floor stand marble busts of Georgians, most of whom are members of the Georgia Hall of Fame. Large portraits of Oglethorpe, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, Benjamin Hill, Robert Toombs, Thomas Jefferson and General Lafayette are mounted on the rotunda walls.
Along the walls of the second floor hang portraits of many of Georgia's governors dating from a royal governor named by King George II. A portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 1964, hangs in the north wing. Also in the north wing is a large statue of Benjamin H. Hill, a famed orator from Georgia. Commemorative plaques are placed throughout the Capitol on all floors.
In the wings to the north and south of the rotunda are grand stairs rising to the third floor. Hanging from the fourth floor railings in the south wing, the Hall of States, are flags of the fifty states arranged in alphabetical order. The flags that have flown over Georgia hang to the north of the rotunda in the Hall of Flags.
The legislative chambers are located on the third floor-the House of Representatives to the west and Senate to the east. The desks in the red-carpeted House are of hand-carved cherry wood, while the blue-carpeted Senate has carved oak desks. Visitors may enter the House and Senate galleries on the fourth floor.

Ueutenant Governor Pierre Howard (Right, Top), House Speaker Thomas B. Murphy (Right)
Georgia State Museum of Science and Industry
Primarily located on the first and fourth floors, the State Museum of Science and Industry includes extensive exhibits depicting the natural history of Georgia. The state's wildlife is shown in natural settings, and rocks and minerals from every county in Georgia are showcased. Indian artifacts from four pre-historic cultural periods, dating back over 2,500 years, provide an Indian heritage exhibit.
On the first floor, the museum also includes many tattered and tom flags of Georgia regiments from the War Between the States, the Spanish-American War, and World War I, as well as four cases of model airplanes depicting the development of aviation to the latest space shuttle.

A. Capitol building at night-Photograph F. Governor and Mrs. Joseph E. Brown

by Tim Small

G. "Expelled' Because of Their Color"

B. Replica of the Statue of Liberty C. Richard Brevard Russell, Jr.

H. Hall of States I. Hall of Flags

D. Thomas E. Watson E. Rotunda

J. Benjamin H. Hill K. & L. Exhibits at the Museum of Science and Industry

Special thanks to Edwin L. Jackson, University of Georgia Institute of Government

Daytime Cover Photograph by Phyllis B. Kandul, Office of the Governor

Visiting the Capitol
Thousands of people visit Georgia's State Capitol each month to view its history, as well as to participate in the many special events taking place throughout the year.
Tours of the Capitol building are conducted Monday through Friday on the hours of 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 and 2:00p.m.
Group or special tours, including tours for the hearing and sight impaired, may be arranged by contacting the Capitol Guide Service at (404) 656-2844.
Distributed by Max Cleland Secretary of State
Max Cleland