The Michigan State Capitol is the building that houses the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the portion of the state capital of Lansing which lies in Ingham County.
The first state capitol was in Detroit, the original capital of Michigan, and was relocated to Lansing in 1847, due to the need to develop the state's western portion and for better defense from British troops stationed in Windsor, Ontario.
First
On July 13, 1787, the Second Continental Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, creating the Northwest Territory which included Michigan. In 1805, the U.S. Congress created the Michigan Territory, with Detroit as its territorial capital.[4] Michigan first applied for statehood as early as 1832, though it was rebuffed due to a dispute with Ohio over the Toledo Strip, a 468-square mile (1,210km2) area that included the important port city of Toledo. By 1835, Michigan had formed a state government without receiving authorization from Congress to do so. The state's boundaries included the contested area.
Original capitol in Detroit c. 1847
The dispute culminated in what has become known as the Toledo War, as Michigan and Ohio militia took up arms in the area. As a condition for entering the Union, Michigan was forced to accept the western three-quarters of the Upper Peninsula in exchange for ceding its claim to the Toledo Strip. After a state convention first rejected this condition, a second convention, assembled under some duress in December 1836, reluctantly accepted the terms and Michigan became the 26th state on January 26, 1837, with Detroit as its first capital.
The first building to serve as the State Capitol was built in 1832 as the Territorial Courthouse. The court house was on the corner of Griswold Street and State Street. This brick structure was one of Michigan's earliest Greek revival buildings, with a portico of Ioniccolumns and a central tower of 140 feet (43m). Built at a cost of $24,500 ($750,000 in 2024), the building housed the territorial government and state legislatures until 1848, when a hastily erected wood building was constructed in Lansing following a decision made March 17, 1847, to move the capital from Detroit to Lansing. The Detroit building then became a public school (the Union School, at one time the city's only high school) and library until it burned in 1893.[3]
In accordance with his wishes, Michigan's territorial governor and first state governor Stevens T. Mason, who died in New York City in 1843, was interred at the site now known as Capitol Park in a 1905 ceremony attended by Mason's 92-year-old sister and other relatives, Governor Fred M. Warner and Detroit Mayor George P. Codd.[5]
A bronze statue of Mason was erected over the grave and remained until 2009 when Detroit officials announced a plan to remodel the park and move the grave several yards east.[6][7] Initial efforts to locate the burial were unsuccessful however it was found a few yards south of its original site. Before Stevens was re-interred for the fourth time, his coffin was transported to Lansing to lay in state in the current capitol building. The current interment is in an above-ground vault in the base of the statue.[8][9]
The seat of government for this state shall be at Detroit, or at such other place or places as may be prescribed by law until the year eighteen hundred and forty-seven when it shall be permanently located by the legislature.[3]
The original Lansing structure before 1882
Prior to 1847, Detroit fought to maintain the Capitol within its jurisdiction, but communities in the growing western part of the state had many reasons for wanting a move inland, including the need to increase defensibility by moving the state government away from the Canada–US border. Detroit had been occupied during the War of 1812, and the border area of Michigan of less than a mile between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, at the Detroit River continued to be occupied by British troops on both banks. Proponents of moving the capitol also sought to promote settlement and the economy in the interior, as well as making the government more accessible to the people throughout the state.[3]
Contenders seeking designation as the new Capitol included Ann Arbor, Jackson, Grand Rapids, and Shiawassee Township in Shiawassee County. At one point during the debate, Marshall officials were so certain of its selection that they built a governor's mansion.[3] After extensive debate, State Senator Joseph H. Kilbourne of Ingham County proposed that the nearly uninhabited Lansing Township be made the seat of government. The legislature agreed, with the location north of Ann Arbor, west of Detroit, and east of Grand Rapids being deemed a suitable compromise. The legislature renamed it as the Town of Michigan, though by 1848 the original name of Lansing was restored.[4]
Construction began in 1847 on the state capitol building in Lansing, a temporary structure on the block bordered by Washington Avenue, Capitol Avenue, Allegan Street, and Washtenaw Street. It was a simple two-story wood-frame structure, painted white with green wooden shutters and topped by a tin cupola. The total cost for construction was $22,952.01 ($750,000 in 2024). The building was sold when the permanent capitol building opened in 1879. It was then used as a factory until, like the first capitol, it was destroyed by a fire in 1882.[3]
Third
The cornerstone for the current state capitol being lowered into place
In the early 1870s, Governor Henry P. Baldwin urged the legislature to fund a new, permanent capitol. On March 31, 1871, a bill was adopted "for the erection of a new state capitol, and a building for the temporary use of the state officers". The new capitol was to cost $1.2 million ($31,000,000 in 2024), to be raised by a six-year state income tax.[3]
In 1872, architect Elijah E. Myers of Springfield, Illinois, was commissioned to design the new capitol building and the design committee selected his design named Tuebor, which means I will defend.[4] Myers used the central dome and wing design found in the United States Capitol in his design and subsequently went on to design two other state capitol buildings, the statehouses of Colorado and Texas, as well as the former territorial capitol building of Idaho, the most by any architect.[11] The cornerstone was laid on October 2, 1873, with about 7,000 Lansing residents and some 30,000 to 50,000 visitors attending.[3] Construction and finishing work were completed by late 1878. The new capitol, with 139 rooms, was dedicated at the same time as the inauguration of Governor Charles Croswell January 1, 1879.[3]
The Lansing capitol building inspired a national trend after the American Civil War for fireproof buildings, large enough to house expanding government as well as serving as a durable repository for artifacts of the war,[12] including battle flags that were moved to the Michigan Historical Museum in 1990. Over the years the dome, which at first matched the light tan of the building, was repainted a bright white. The legislature funded an extensive historical restoration starting in 1989 which was completed in 1992.[4] The restoration returned the dome to a creamy-white shade, upgraded mechanical systems, and improved accessibility as well as restoring many of the original design elements. One of the restoration's largest phases entailed removal of "half-floors" that were installed in 1969 to create 50,000 square feet (4,600m2) of additional office space. The floors were created by dividing the 16-foot (4.9m)-high rooms horizontally and creating a level of rooms which was accessed from the stairway landing.[13] The Capitol Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places January 25, 1971 (NRHP Reference #71000396), and was designated as a National Historic Landmark October 5, 1992.[14]
Building
Interior of the capitol dome
The Michigan State Capitol is 267 feet (81 metres) from the ground to the tip of finial/spire above the dome. The building is 420ft 2in (128.07m) long and 273ft 11in (83.49m) wide (including approaches). The capitol occupies 1.16 acres (4,700m2), has a perimeter of 1,520ft (460m).[12] The structure contains four stories, with public entrances on the ground floor. Two grand staircases in the north and south corridors go up to the top floor.[4] The rotunda measures 44.5 feet (13.6m) in diameter and 160 feet (49m) in height measured from the floor to the oculus.[15]
When it opened, the Capitol structure was large enough to host all the state agencies and departments. Due to the growth of state government, only the offices of Senate and House leadership and ceremonial offices for the governor and lieutenant governor remain in the capitol. The ground floor corridors led to "store rooms" designed by the architect in the original building plans. This includes an armory in the southwest corner of the south corridor. The original wood floor has been replaced by gray tiles. The rooms were originally lit with gas fixtures, though by 1900, the building had been refitted with electric lights. Today, the ground floor is home to several offices, including the Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House, and the Capitol Tours and Information Service.
On the three primary floors, black and white floor tile is made of Vermont marble and limestone. The exception is the floor of the rotunda which is composed of 976 blocks of translucent glass, supported by iron beams[16] and columns.[17] It is a vault light, admitting light to the floor below.[17] The blocks vary in size so that when viewed from the upper floors, they appear to form a bowl which mirrors the dome above.
The doorknobs are mostly made of a brass and bronze alloy (most of the original brass doorknobs have disappeared over time). The present doorknobs and hinges, locked for protection, display the state coat of arms. Though the building appears to have walnut woodwork, the wood is Michigan white pine that has been wood-grained to give the appearance of walnut.
Muses
The first floor gives visitors their first view of the interior of the rotunda. Below the cast-iron dome, the ceiling displays eight muses painted in 1886. For more than a century, the muses' artist remained anonymous; it is now known that it was Tommaso Juglaris, who created them in his Boston studio and never came to Michigan. In the east wing of the first floor is a large clock, called a long-drop clock. It was once the building's master clock and is at least as old as the Capitol. The clock was restored in 1990 and is in working condition.
The second floor, in addition to housing the gubernatorial offices, features the Gallery of Governors with portraits of former Michigan Governors on the walls of the rotunda; the gallery extends up to the third floor. The governor's offices were among the most extensively restored during the 1989–1992 restoration. The office features a suite of original furnishings manufactured in 1876 by the Feige Brothers Company of Saginaw. The former chambers of the Michigan Supreme Court are in the south wing of the building. The court vacated its chambers in 1970 for larger quarters, eventually moving to its current location in the Michigan Hall of Justice.[4] The room is now used by the Senate Appropriations Committee and named for longtime chairman Harry Gast.[18]
Public access to Michigan's legislative bodies is through the third floor. The capitol building holds the chambers and offices of the bicameralstate legislature, which is composed of the Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate. Public galleries are at both ends of the third floor. The Senate, with 38 members, has its chambers on the south side of the building, while the House of Representatives, with 110 members, has its chambers in the north wing. House sessions are normally held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1:30 PM and Thursdays at 12:00 noon, while Senate sessions begin at 10:00 AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Both houses occasionally convene on Mondays and Fridays.[19] Senate and House sessions are taped by Michigan Government Television, a public service body transmitted to local cable television systems' government-access television channels. Similar to C-SPAN, MGTV has made live coverage of the legislative proceedings available since July 15, 1996.[20]
State Senate chambers
House of Representatives chambers
Tiled ceiling bearing each state's coat of arms
Although having the same floor plan, the House and Senate chambers are decorated very differently, with the former in terra cotta and teal colors and the latter in blue and gold. An oval cartouche in the carpet at the entrance to the House chamber features the state flower, the apple blossom. Presiding over the house is the speaker, whose chair is behind a desk in the center with a plaster and paint version of the state coat of arms. The Senate chamber is somewhat smaller than the House. The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, who presides over sessions from a walnutrostrum at the front of the chamber. Both the House and the Senate use computerized voting systems, including wall-mounted screens that allow visitors to follow the voting and both also contain glass tiled ceilings that allow natural light to shine through etched glass panels to better light the room. These ceiling tiles feature the coats-of-arms of each state in the United States.[4]
In summer 2013, the structure underwent additional work to replace carpeting installed in the 1989–1992 renovation that had become worn and frayed in many areas. Work also upgraded wiring for communications systems, repaired roof leaks and upgraded a handicapped parking area and entrance on the north side.[21]
In July 2023, the Michigan State Capitol Commission began another restoration project in the rotunda. The work aimed to clean and restore the painted surfaces on the inner dome and followed earlier work that replaced mechanical systems and windows in the upper part of the dome and lantern.[22] The work completed in April 2024, approximately one month earlier than planned and under the budgeted $3 million.[23]
Grounds
Michigan State CapitolThe Michigan Capitol Building with the Catalpa Tree in Blossom on the left.
The Capitol Pediment, located above the main front entrance to the building, is entitled "The Rise and Progress of Michigan". It depicts a central figure, Michigan, who is dressed as a Native American. She offers a book and globe to the people of her state, promising a bright future. She is surrounded by symbols of Michigan's economy, including a plow, cornucopia, and a laurel wreath to represent agriculture. Also included are symbols representing shipping, mining, and lumbering.[4]
The cornerstone, located at the northeast corner of the building, bears the dates 1872, the start of construction, and 1878, the year of completion. The stone was opened during ceremonies November 15, 1978, the centennial of the building's completion. Various documents enclosed within the stone had been damaged by moisture, although several coins from the era remained intact. Officials closed and resealed with stone with 38 new items depicting Michigan's history, people, and lifestyles. At the lawn's southeast corner is the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial, a 1924-bronze plaque attached to a boulder as a memorial to American Civil War veterans who fought for the Union.[4]
The grounds have several notable trees. An Eastern White Pine, the state tree of Michigan, is located at the east front of the building. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tree was planted in memory of the slain leader in 1984 to the north of the Austin Blair Monument. The oldest tree on the grounds is a catalpa on the southeast lawn present when the Capitol was dedicated in 1873. The American Forestry Association has certified this catalpa is the largest living tree of its kind in the United States.[12][24] The most recently dedicated tree is a blue spruce called "the Freedom Tree," planted in 1973 as a memorial to the Vietnam War's missing-in-action and prisoners of war.[4]
↑ "Michigan State Capitol". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
↑ "Elijah E. Myers". Michigan Senate (original material from Michigan Department of Management and Budget). 1988. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
↑ "Michigan State Capitol". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 18, 2007. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
↑ "First Floor". Your State Capitol. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker. A $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
The Georgia State Capitol is an architecturally and historically significant building in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The building has been named a National Historic Landmark which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As the primary office building of Georgia's government, the capitol houses the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state on the second floor, chambers in which the General Assembly, consisting of the Georgia State Senate and Georgia House of Representatives, meets annually from January to April. The fourth floor houses visitors' galleries overlooking the legislative chambers and a museum located near the rotunda in which a statue of Miss Freedom caps the dome.
The Wyoming State Capitol is located in the city of Cheyenne. Cheyenne is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Wyoming, also hosting the workspace for the governor, and his staff; Mark Gordon. Built between 1886 and 1890, the capitol is located in Cheyenne and contains the chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature as well as the office of the Governor of Wyoming. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1987. The Capitol underwent an extensive three-year renovation and reopened to the public on July 10, 2019.
The Oklahoma State Capitol is the house of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the building that houses the Oklahoma Legislature and executive branch offices. It is located along Lincoln Boulevard in Oklahoma City and contains 452,508 square feet of floor area. The present structure includes a dome completed in 2002.
The Ohio Statehouse is the state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus. The capitol houses the Ohio General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It also contains the ceremonial offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, and state auditor. Built between 1839 and 1861, it is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States. The statehouse grounds include two other buildings, the Judiciary Annex or Senate Building, and the Atrium; the three are collectively referred to as the Ohio Statehouse into the present day.
The New Mexico State Capitol is the seat of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico, located in its capital city of Santa Fe. It houses both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature and the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State. The building is one of only eleven state capitols without a dome, and the only circular state capitol in the United States, for which it is commonly known as "the Roundhouse".
The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 900 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, on the border of downtown in Providence. It is a neoclassical building designed by McKim, Mead & White which features the fourth largest structural-stone dome in the world, topped by a gilded statue of "The Independent Man", representing freedom and independence. The building houses the Rhode Island General Assembly – the state House of Representatives is located in the west wing, and the Senate in the east – and the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and general treasurer of Rhode Island. Other state offices are located in separate buildings on a campus just north of the State House.
The Washington State Capitol in Olympia is the home of the government of the State of Washington. It contains the chambers of the Washington State Legislature, offices for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and state treasurer. It is part of a larger administrative campus including buildings for the Washington Supreme Court, the Washington Governor's Mansion, and many other state agencies.
The California State Capitol is the seat of the California state government, located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. The building houses the chambers of the California State Legislature, made up of the Assembly and the Senate, along with the office of the governor of California. The Neoclassical structure, designed by Reuben S. Clark, was completed between 1861 and 1874. Located at the west end of Capitol Park and the east end of the Capitol Mall and Plaza de California, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The California State Capitol Museum is housed on the grounds of the capitol.
The Alaska State Capitol is the building that hosts the Alaska Legislature and the offices of the Governor of Alaska and Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. Located in the state's capital, Juneau, the building was opened on February 14, 1931, as a federal building. After Alaska gained statehood, the building became home to the Alaska Legislature and has retained the function ever since.
The Alabama State Capitol, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the First Confederate Capitol, is the state capitol building for Alabama. Located on Capitol Hill, originally Goat Hill, in Montgomery, it was declared a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960. Unlike every other state capitol, the Alabama Legislature does not meet there, but at the Alabama State House. The Capitol has the governor's office and otherwise functions as a museum.
The Arizona Territorial - Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was the last home for Arizona's territorial government until Arizona became a state in 1912. Initially, all three branches of the new state government occupied the four floors of the statehouse. As the state expanded the branches relocated to adjacent buildings and additions. The 1901 portion of the capitol is now maintained as the Arizona Capitol Museum with a focus on the history and culture of Arizona. The Arizona State Library, which occupied most of the 1938 addition until July 2017, re-opened in late 2018 as a part of the Arizona Capitol Museum.
The Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, is an architecturally and historically significant building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Capitol is at the intersection of Apalachee Parkway and South Monroe Street in downtown Tallahassee, Florida.
The New Jersey State House is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New Jersey and is the third-oldest state house in continuous legislative use in the United States. Located in Trenton, it was originally built in 1792 and is notable for its close proximity to the state border with Pennsylvania, which makes it the closest capitol building to a state border. The building accommodates both the New Jersey Legislature's Senate and General Assembly chambers, offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and various state government departments.
The Utah State Capitol is the house of government for the U.S. state of Utah. The building houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the State Auditor and their staffs. The capitol is the main building of the Utah State Capitol Complex, which is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City.
The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown Harrisburg. The building was designed by architect Joseph Miller Huston in 1902 and completed in 1906 in a Beaux-Arts style with decorative Renaissance themes throughout. The capitol houses the legislative chambers for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the Harrisburg chambers for the Supreme and Superior Courts of Pennsylvania, as well as the offices of the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. It is also the main building of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex.
The Idaho State Capitol in Boise is the home of the government of the U.S. state of Idaho. Although Lewiston briefly served as Idaho's capital from the formation of Idaho Territory in 1863, the territorial legislature moved it to Boise on December 24, 1864.
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 and expanded in 1977, the current building is the third to house the Oregon state government in Salem. The first two capitols in Salem were destroyed by fire, one in 1855 and the other in 1935.
The South Dakota State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of South Dakota. Housing the South Dakota State Legislature, it is located in the state capitol of Pierre at 500 East Capitol Avenue. The building houses the offices of most state officials, including the Governor of South Dakota.
The Mississippi State Capitol or the “New Capitol,” has been the seat of the state’s government since it succeeded the old statehouse in 1903. Located in Jackson, it was designated as a Mississippi Landmark in 1986, a National Historic Landmark in 2016 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
