The Washington State Capitol Building
Because it's one of my favorite scenes I usually start with a walk to the Legislative Building, our Washington State Capitol. It's a majestic building which has a brick and sandstone dome that rises 287 feet to the very tip-top of the cupola, one of the tallest masonry domes in the world. Washington State's laws are adopted in this famous building.
Built in 1928 with a design from architects Wilder and White from New York, the building was a five-year project using the skills of more than 500 worldwide master craftsmen and artisans. No other state capitol buildings, on Washington State's Capitol completion, were built with such opulence.
(Re: photo - This is not a full view. There are two wings that extend out on either side.)
The exterior sandstone came from state quarries near Mt. Rainier and Wilkeson. Index provided granite steps. There are 42 steps to the capitol entrance (not counting landings); one for each state that became a state prior to and including Washington State.
The exterior of the dome suffered a bit from our Nisqually Earthquake this year. See the scaffoldings (on the left of the dome) where it's being repaired. Maxfeld Keck of New York created elegant sculptural designs in the sandstone, bronze and plaster throughout the building - you see a bit of them in this view.
The inside also has damage from the quake, but business is going on as usual. Striking bronze doors open into the foyer and the rotunda a few steps up ahead. You immediately notice the ornate 5-ton bronze chandelier hanging from the 180-foot-high ceiling. It contains over 200 light bulbs. The beautiful lights inside were all designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The State Seal replica is embedded in the floor of the rotunda.
I could go on and on about the capitol building, but instead choose to show you a bit of the capitol grounds and some of the memorials to our soldiers. (Don't want to spoil your visit with a too-detailed description. It's fun to view it yourself.)
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