Alabama State Capitol- Montgomery, AL
I have a lot of love for state capitol buildings. They typically are grand old structures, usually domed, steeped in history. Alabama’s capitol building is all of these things, and more. It is one stunning Greek Revival that has witnessed more than its share of historic moments, and emerged looking just as lovely as the day she was built.
Today’s capitol building is actually the state’s fourth, and the second at the current location. The first building, situated atop Montgomery’s Goat Hill, was a grand building of stuccoed brick, with a two story monument portico and a central dome topped with an elaborate lantern patterned after the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. Designed by architect Stephen Decatur Button, the stately structure officially opened on December 6, 1847; almost exactly two years later this magnificent structure was destroyed by fire.
As soon as the smoke cleared and the rubble was removed, construction started on the building’s replacement. Using the foundation of the previous structure, Barachias Holt, a master mechanic and architect from Maine, rebuilt the capitol in just one year. This time around it boasted a three story portico, a wood and cast iron dome supported by Corinthian columns, and a much more subdued twelve sided glazed lantern atop the dome. In 1852, five months after completion, a disproportionate gifted clock was installed over the portico, and has been criticized as architectural inappropriate ever since.
Inside, the entrance hall contains one of the most magnificent set of staircases I have ever laid eyes on. Twin cantilevered spiral staircases, constructed and designed by freed slave Horace King, gracefully connect the main level to the floors above. Truly unique, the delicate curves seem almost serpentine, and ready to strike.
King, a renowned bridge builder, later went on to serve two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives, which is amazing considering it occurred in post-Civil War Reconstruction Era Alabama. In fact, he was elected in 1868, just 7 years after Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the President of the Confederate States of America on the steps of the capitol building.
The capitol rotunda is another jaw dropping space. The ground floor area, while not open to the upper levels, does contain a memorial sculpture dedicated to Lurleen Burns Wallace, Alabama’s first female governor, who died while in office. The second and third floors are open to the dome above, which is decorated with 8 murals depicting events from Alabama’s history.
Radiating from the axial rotunda are the restored Senate and House Chambers, which are elaborately decorated windows into the past. The floor of the Old House Chamber was the site of the Alabama Succession Convention, as well as several other prominent civil war era events.
The Senate Chamber, restored to its 1861 appearance, boasts gilded Corinthian columns, a curvilinear mezzanine, and a dreamy periwinkle trompe l’oeil ceiling.
Outside, the grounds retain much of their original Frederick Law Olmstead design, however the cast iron fence that once surrounded the capitol was moved to the Old August Cemetery in the early 20th century. Also present on the grounds are several monuments, including a large memorial to Confederate veterans. A relic from the past, many have called for its removal, but as of present it still stands. A more recent addition is a historical marker that commemorates the famous Selma to Montgomery March.
On March 25, 1965, 25,000 protestors, including Martin Luther King, Jr., marched from Selma to the capitol stairs, demanding that Governor Wallace end racial discrimination in Alabama. Although the governor initially agreed to meet the delegation, they were denied entry to the capitol grounds. Dr. King then gave an impassioned speech on the steps, but failed to gain an audience with the Governor. Over the years, the steps have been the location of various other civil rights demonstrations. Incidentally, just a few steps away from the capitol is the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, where King served as pastor from 1954-1960.
Wonderfully historic, and stunning beautiful, it is one of the loveliest capitol buildings in the United States.
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