Cupolas of Capitalism
State Capitol Building Histories
States from P to S
View States: A-B, C-E,
F-IL, IN-K, L-ME,
MI-MO, N-NE, NO-O,
P-S, T-V, W-Z
|
View of the Rhode Island State Capitol
Building. States with Capitol Buildings featuring prominent exterior cupolas are highlighted in yellow. Historical information appearing on this page comes from the same sources acknowledged on the first page of this gallery. Click on any picture to see an enlarged version, or to view the other historic images available in the Cupolas of Capitalism Picture Gallery. |
| STATE | CITY | STATE CAPITOL BUILDING DATE(s) / ARCHITECT(s) | BLDG. DESCRIPTION(s), IMAGE(s) and SITE LINK(s) |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | 1894, Old Museum Building constructed, part of
current Capitol complex / John T. Windrim. 1898-1902/3, design and construction of current Capitol Building begun but never completed / Henry Ives Cobb. 1902-06, Cobb walls and parts of superstructure incorporated in new Capitol Building design / Joseph M. Huston (later fined and sent to prison for half a year on charges of involvement in fraudulent construction charges). 1916-21, South Office Building added / Arnold W. Brunner. 1929, North Office Building completed, flanking the east side of the original capitol / Arnold W. Brunner. 1931, Forum Building completed, extending flanking buildings on east side / William Gehron and Sidney F. Ross. 1939, North Office Building No. 2 (Finance Building) completed, opposite Forum building / ? architect. ca. 1946, Alterations to capitol building's east Elevation (extending wings?) / William Gehron. 1980-87, previous buildings connected with new East Wing and underground parking / Thomas C. Celli (Celli-Flynn Associates). 1981- present?, ongoing capitol restoration / Vitetta. Note: While Cupola usually limits its coverage to old and new capitols that reside in the current capital city, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA merits special mention here. As a former state house, U.S. capitol, and site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is a national treasure. Its majestic tiered cupola tower once housed the Liberty Bell. More info on this old capitol is available with a brief building history from ushistory.org; an article from Wikipedia; and visitor's info from the National Park Service. Many other photos and drawings of the building are available from the American Memories Project at the Library of Congress. |
 Italian and French Renaissance Revival capitol. Central circular drum tower capped with dome and cupola is a half scale replica of St. Peter's in Rome. 272 feet tall. Post Modern East Wing. The cupola is capped with a statue officially named Commonwealth, and locally known to some as Miss Penn or Letitia. More info is available at the Pennsylvania General Assembly site, with virtual tours here and here. An outstanding photo album is also available from photographer Edward Crim. |
| Rhode Island | Providence (Old and New State Houses) |
1759-71, Old State House (a.k.a. Colony House)
designed and built (mostly complete by 1762). Now headquarters of
Rhode Island's Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission / ?
Architect. 1840, renovation (mostly lost to later renovations) / Russell Warren. 1850-51, major remodel includes interior alterations, the removal of the original central 2 story roof tower cupola, and the addition of a new projecting entrance with tower and belfry centered on the west facade / Thomas Tefft. 1867, East wing added / James C. Bucklin (a Library of Congress source credits Alfred E. Stone with this instead). 1873, renovation / Alfred E. Stone of Stone, Carpenter, and Willson. 1895-1904, New State House designed and constructed / Charles Follen McKim, William Rutherford McKim, and Stanford White (McKim, Mead, and White). |
 Old State House is a Colonial structure with influences of the late English Baroque. Its 19C entry tower addition has a square cupola top. More info offsite with this photo essay from the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.  New State House is in the Italian Renaissance Revival style. Central circular drum tower capped with dome and cupola. 4 smaller domed cupolas adjacent to main dome. 235 feet tall. Capped with a statue named Independent Man. More info offsite with an official virtual tour. A visitor's brochure and a teacher's activity book are available in Adobe Acrobat format from the office of Rhode Island's Secretary of State. A chatty alternative building guide is also available from the Quahog.org website. |
| South Carolina | Columbia | 1854-65, Capitol designed and construction begun /
Major John Rudolph Niernsee (previous 1851-54 project by P.H. Hammerskold
removed after materials and structure are found unsuitable). 1865, town burned by General Sherman, but building survives with considerable damage to the interior, but only minor damage to the exterior. Construction halted. 1885, construction resumes / Major John R. Niernsee (who dies in 1885). 1885-88, construction continues / James Crawford Neilson, Niernsee's associate. 1888-1891, construction continues on interiors (suspended after 1891) / Francis (Frank) McHenry Niernsee, Niernsee's son. 1900-04, roof replaced, dome, north and south porticos built to a modified design / Frank Pierce Milburn (later sued by the state in what eventually is declared a mistrial and not retried). 1904-07, interiors completed / Charles Coker Wilson. 1959-69, major renovations / ? Architect(s). 1995-98, major restoration / Stephens & Wilkinson. |
 Italian Renaissance Revival capitol building, featuring a central circular drum tower capped with dome and cupola. 164 feet tall. More info offsite with this official building history and virtual tour. The architects of the recent restoration offer project photos and a short description. An extensive photo gallery is available from professional photographer Edward Crim. |
| South Dakota | Pierre | 1905-11, Capitol designed and built / C. E. Bell and
M. S. Detweiller. 1930s, annex addition to north face / ? Architect(s). 1975-89, historic restoration / ? Architect(s). |
 Greek and Italian Renaissance Revival style statehouse. Central circular drum tower capped with copper dome and cupola. 161 feet tall. More info offsite with this official virtual tour (link frequently offline). |
View States: A-B, C-E,
F-IL, IN-K, L-ME,
MI-MO,
N-NE, NO-O, P-S,
T-V, W-Z, or Back to
Building Galleries
 Site Index |
 Back to Cupola Home |
 More Capitols |
Copyright © 1998-2008 by Cupola Consulting