Exploring The Texas State Capitol Building

As the fourth building in Austin to serve as the seat of Texas government, the Texas State Capitol is home to the chambers of the Texas Legislature as well as the offices of the governor of Texas. Originally designed by Elijah E. Myers in 1881, the building took seven years to complete and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

At a height of 308 feet, the Texas State Capitol is the largest, but not the tallest, of all of the state capitol buildings in the United States. The current size of the Texas State Capital is much larger than the original structure, however, as a $75 million underground extension was added to the building in 1993. This extension came in at a much steeper cost than the original building, which cost a total of $3.7 million.

Interestingly, the original portion of the Texas State Capitol, which features an Italian Renaissance Revival design, was largely constructed by migrant workers and convicts. Reportedly, up to one thousand people were working on the building at any given time. The cornerstone of the building was completed on March 2, 1887, which is Texas Independence Day, but the building was not open to the public until April 21, 1888, which is San Jacinto Day.

Although the original plans for the building called for constructing it entirely out of limestone brought in from Otmanville, which is now Oak Hill, the limestone contained too much iron content. As a result, the stone started to become discolored. In response, the owners of Granite Mountain, which is located near Marble Falls, decided to donate pink granite to the state to be used as an alternative. As such, while the majority of the building is actually made from Oak Hill limestone, much of the stone is hidden on the foundation and behind the walls. Furthermore, in response to the Texas State Capitol being constructed of pink granite, many of the state government buildings in the Austin area are also constructed of pink granite.

In addition to the underground extension that was completed in 1993, the building has undergone numerous renovations since it was first constructed. In 1955, for example, central air conditioning was added to the building. Significant restoration also took place from 1983 to 1993 after a portion of the building was destroyed in a great fire. While care was taken to restore the building so it looked much like the original, numerous mechanical and structural systems were upgraded to meet modern standards. It was also at this time that the state decided to build its four-story underground structure, a decision that was made in an effort to expand the space without eliminating the building's historic facade. As a result of the extension, the Texas State Capitol now has nearly twice as much floor space as the original structure.

Today, the architectural splendor of the Texas State Capitol remains a favorite to people around the country. In fact, the structure came in at the 92nd position out of 150 in the American Institute of Architects "America's Favorite Architecture" poll in 2007. In 2008, the building also ranked as the number one state capitol building in an additional American Institute of Architects poll.