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Oregon State Capitol

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Oregon State Capitol
File:ORCap1.JPG
Oregon State Capitol, view from Capitol Mall
Location900 Court Street NE
Salem, Oregon
United States United States
BuiltOctober 1 1938
ArchitectTrowbridge & Livingston
Architectural styleArt Deco
NRHP reference No.88001055
Added to NRHP1988

The Oregon State Capitol is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Oregon. Housing the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the Governor's office, the Oregon Secretary of State's office, and the offices of the Oregon State Treasury, it is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building is the third to house the Oregon state government in Salem, and was constructed in 1935, with its wings added in 1977. Two previous buildings had burned, one in 1855 and the other in 1935. Construction of the current structure during the Great Depression (finished in 1937) was partially paid for by the United States government through the Public Works Administration. The original Art Deco design was by New York architects Trowbridge & Livingston, in association with Francis Keally. The Oregon State Capitol was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[1]

The current marble-clad capitol was built at a cost of $2.5 million for the central portion of the building, which includes the 166-foot-tall dome. The wings were added later for $12.5 million, doubling the size of the capitol building to a total of approximately 233,750 square feet of floor space. In addition to the building itself, the Capitol includes grounds that contain artwork, fountains, and various flora, including the state tree (Douglas-fir) and state flower (Oregon-grape).

History

Picture of building used as the capitol in 1855 when it was briefly located in Corvallis.

Before the creation of the Oregon Territory in 1848, the provisional government of the Oregon Country had selected Oregon City as the capital for that governing body by legislative acts on June 27 1844 and again on December 19 1845.[2] Thus the first capitol of Oregon was in Oregon City during the territorial period. One of the early buildings used by the government at this time was a structure built by John L. Morrison in 1850 that served as a capitol until the government moved to Salem.[3] The designation of Oregon City as the seat of power was by proclamation of then Governor Joseph Lane. In 1850, the legislature passed an act making Salem the capital. However, Governor John P. Gaines refused to relocate and remained in Oregon City along with the Oregon Supreme Court (except justice Orville C. Pratt) until an act of Congress on May 14 1852, settled the matter in Salem’s favor.[4]

On January 13 1855, the Oregon Territorial Legislature passed a bill moving the seat of government from Salem to Corvallis.[4] Governor George Law Curry and many others objected to the move, since public buildings in Salem were under construction at that time.[4] Curry sent the matter to the Secretary of the Treasury in Washington, D.C., where Secretary James Guthrie declared the move invalid unless acted on by the United States Congress. Thereafter, Curry and Oregon Secretary of State Benjamin Harding moved back to Salem.[4] On December 3 1855, the legislature convened in Corvallis, but shortly thereafter introduced legislation to move the capital back to Salem. This bill passed on December 15 1855. Three days later the legislature re-convened in Salem.[4] On the 29th the statehouse burned down, however, so the legislature re-opened the debate on the location of the capital. They chose to leave it open to the people of the territory to decide by popular vote. A vote was to be held in June 1856, after which the two cities that had received the most votes would have a runoff. The vote showed the runoff was to be between Eugene and Corvallis, but after some votes were tossed out, the outcome changed to the choices being Eugene and Salem.[4] The runoff was held in October and Eugene garnered the most votes, but few people in the state voted because of the vote-tossing in the first election.[4] With such a low turnout, the election was ignored and the capital remained in Salem.[4]

A final and permanent resolution of the location issue came in 1864. In 1860 the legislature passed a law to put the location of the capital up to a popular vote once again.[4] The first vote came in 1862, and no city received the required 50% minimum to win.[4] In the 1864 election Salem received 79% of the vote and was declared the official state capital.[4]

First capitol

The land that the first and subsequent capitol buildings were built on was block 84 in Salem, which was sold to the state for this purpose by pioneer and Salem founder W. H. Willson.[5] Construction of the first capitol building began in 1854.[6] This was shortly after Congress had confirmed Salem as the capital city. However, with the capital moving to Corvallis the next year, construction was temporarily stopped.[6] The Treasury’s decision on the matter, and relocation back to Salem allowed for the building to be nearly completed late in 1855.[6] This Greek Revival-style[7] territorial capitol stood 50 feet wide and 75 feet long, with a stone facade and ten-foot portico.[5] Built of native stone, the exterior ranged in color from a deep, sky blue to white. These external walls of ashlar blocks rose two stories.[5] The first floor was 19 feet tall and the second 15 feet tall with an eight foot entablature. The building was decorated with four Ionic columns on the front, west end.[5] The building housed a variety of rooms, including a federal courthouse with a chamber measuring 20 feet by 27 feet, and an 18- by 20-foot executive office on the first floor.[5] Also on the first floor was the House chamber, measuring 36 feet by 46 feet, and with a total of three entrances.[5] The first floor also held the main hall, which included the 15-foot-wide entrance. On the second floor was the Senate chamber—a 26- by 36-foot room. Additionally, the Territorial Library was housed in a 20- by 36-foot room.[5] The second story also had a gallery viewing area for the House, three committee rooms, and several rooms for government clerks.[5]

On the evening of December 29 1855, a fire broke out in the first capitol, destroying the building and many of the territory's public records.[6] The fire started in the unfinished northeast corner of the structure, an area still unoccupied by the government.[5] The fire was not discovered until around 12:30 a.m. the next morning.[5] Arson was suspected in the fire, however there were never any arrests made.[8] The site of the burned out capitol building remained a pile of stones for several years after the fire gutted the structure.[9] A downtown building, Nesmith’s Building (later named the Holman Building), served as a temporary capitol from 1859 until 1876. The legislature met on the second and third floors of that building, while the building also housed the other state offices.[9]

Second capitol

The Oregon state capitol from 1876–1935.
Pillars of the second capitol

Plans for a new building began to take shape in 1872 when the State Legislature appropriated $100,000 towards a new capitol building.[10] This second capitol building was built between 1873 and 1876 and was a two-story structure (an additional first level was partially underground) constructed at a cost of $325,000.[11] The cornerstone for the building was laid on October 5, 1873 with a ceremony that included a speech by Governor Stephen F. Chadwick and the music of several bands.[12] Construction was on the same site as the 1855 building, and was partly accomplished with convict labor from the Oregon State Penitentiary.[12] The design was by Justus F. Krumbein and Gilbert architects.[12]

Built of stone and brick (5,000,000 total bricks), Oregon’s new capitol measured 275 feet by 136 feet with a dome stretching 180 feet into the air.[12] The ground story was built of native Oregon sandstone from the Umpqua region.[7] The three-story (including the mainly above-ground basement) structure had a square rotunda on the interior that was 54 feet tall.[12] Also inside was a Senate chamber measuring 75 feet by 45 feet, and the 85- by 75-foot House chamber.[12] On the third floor was the Oregon Supreme Court with a courtroom measuring 54 feet by 46 feet and the Oregon State Law Library at a size of 75 feet by 70 feet. Also on the third floor was a viewing gallery for the House.[12] On the exterior were ornamental pilasters and two-story porticos on the east and west ends.[12][11] Included in the building was a lunch counter.[13] Additionally, the building had mullion-windowed wings.[11] The large copper-clad dome was constructed with an iron and steel framework.[12] This dome rose 54 feet above the rest of the building and was a total of 100 feet tall.[12] The building was in a Renaissance style[12] with Corinthian columns on the front entrance.[14] The second state capitol was patterned after the United States Capitol.[15] At that time, the capitol faced towards the west and the Willamette River.[11] The government began using the building in August 1876, before the dome was built.[12] Originally, the plans called for towers on both sides of the dome (a tower on both ends of the building with the dome in the middle), but were removed from construction plans to save money.[12] Oregon’s second capitol building stood from 1876 to April 25 1935.

On April 25 at 6:43 p.m., a custodial engineer at the building called the Salem Fire Department to report smoke in the building. Citizens soon helped to remove items from the smoky building, but once the fire department arrived they cleared out the people and flames engulfed the structure. Among those attempting to rescue records and furniture was a young Mark Hatfield, who later became Governor of Oregon.[7] It was determined that the fire had started in the basement of the east wing, and it quickly spread to piles of old records in wooden storage boxes.[7] A strong updraft in the hollow columns enclosing the dome’s eight supporting steel lattice girders pulled the flames through the rotunda to upper stories.[7] The intense heat burned even the copper dome and lit up the night sky.[16] Flames could be seen as far away as Corvallis.[13] One volunteer firefighter, Floyd McMullen, who was also a student at Willamette University, died attempting to put out the fire that drew firefighters from as far away as Portland.[8] Salem used seven fire trucks to try to put out the fire, with three additional fire trucks coming from Portland.[13] Only the outer walls were left standing after the fire was extinguished.[11] Losses were estimated at $1.5 million, however the state did not carry insurance.[13] The losses included historic artifacts such as the portraits of all the governors, and were made worse as evacuation of state property was delayed until late in the evening once firefighters determined they could not extinguish the flames.[13] Losses could have been worse had the state not used fire-proof vaults in the basement to store valuables such as over $1 million in stocks and bonds.[13] During the blaze firefighters poured water on these vaults to help keep them cool and prevent the contents from disintegrating.[13] Also, years earlier the state had turned over many historical documents to the Oregon Historical Society in Portland for preservation and thus they were spared from the flames.[13] Although the Supreme Court moved to the Oregon Supreme Court Building in 1914, the two buildings were connected by underground tunnels used for electricity and heating.[17] At the time of the fire the Oregon State Library was located in the basement and first floor of the Supreme Court Building.[17] Many books located in the basement suffered water damage due to the water used to fight the fire flooding the underground tunnels and seeping into the basement of the Supreme Court Building.[17] Offices of those previously housed in the Capitol Building were moved to other government buildings and to leased space in downtown Salem until a new building was finished.[11]

Third capitol

Construction of the newest building began on December 4 1936.[11] The third state capitol was completed in 1938 and is the fourth-newest capitol in the United States. The capitol was dedicated on October 1 1938, with speeches from United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Leslie M. Scott, Robert W. Sawyer, and Oregon Governor Charles Henry Martin. The new building was a switch from the normal design of state capitol buildings at the time, and the design was chosen out of 123 entries from a countrywide competition. The design was labeled a combination of Egyptian simplicity and Greek refinement.[16]

Some controversy occurred before construction began when Governor Martin suggested the new building be built on a hill south of downtown (Candelaria Heights) and away from the busy center of the town. However, downtown merchants were able to keep the capitol building in downtown, though some Victorian homes were subsequently leveled to make way for the building. Another early complaint about the structure was about the cupola, that was more of a "paint can" look than traditional domes included on other capitols, including the earlier Oregon structure. It was even called a "squirrel cage" and it was said that it lacked majesty. Additionally, the gold Oregon Pioneer atop the dome took time for the public to come to admire.[16] Installation of the statue began on September 17 1938 when the pioneer was hoisted to the top of the building, but the installation took several days and was briefly delayed in order for the contractor to find heavier duty equipment to lift the heavy statue.[18]

The Capitol's main entrance on the north side of the building.

Built at a cost of $2.5 million, the federal government paid 45% of the costs through the Public Works Administration. Upon completion, the new capitol was 164 feet wide, 400 feet long, and 166 feet tall.[11] The exterior was finished with Vermont marble. Much of the interior was lined with a polished rose travertine stone quarried in Montana, with the lobby, rotunda, and halls lined with this sedimentary rock.[14] The rotunda’s staircases and floor used Phoenix Napoleon marble quarried in Missouri and have borders utilizing Radio Black marble that like the exterior stone is from the state of Vermont.[14] The original cost estimate for the building was $3.5 million, but the state legislature only appropriated the $2.5 million and consequently committee rooms were removed from the building plans.[19] These rooms were added in 1977 as part of a $12.5 million expansion project to add new wings to the building that contained legislative offices, hearing rooms, support services, a first floor galleria, and underground parking.[19] This addition doubled the space at the capitol building.[20] In 2002, the wings were remodeled at a cost of $1.3 million to upgrade items such as antiquated wiring, and to install new carpeting and lighting.[20]

On March 25 1993, the magnitude 5.6 Scotts Mills earthquake damaged the dome, requiring closure for repairs. This "Spring Break Quake" shook the dome enough to shift the statue on top and cracked the dome. Additionally, the quake created a bulge on the west end of the building three feet high.[21] Repairs cost $4.3 million and included reinforcing the structure with additional concrete and steel bars.[22]

In April 2002, the building became the first state capitol in the United States to produce solar power through the use of 60 photovoltaic panels that produce 7.8 kilowatts.[23] One-third of the power produced is used to light the Oregon Pioneer at night, with the remaining electricity sent into the power grid.[23]

The Capitol today

File:ORCapInteriorRotunda.JPG
Inside of the rotunda

Oregon’s Capitol Building is home to both branches of the state’s legislature, the House and Senate.[14] It also has offices for the Governor, Treasurer, and the Secretary of State. The prominent rotunda features an embedded bronze replica of the Oregon State Seal in its center, which was sculpted by Ulric Ellerhusen. Ellerhusen also sculpted the Oregon Pioneer on top of the Capitol dome. The dome rises 106 feet above the state seal. The interior of the dome was painted by Frank H. Schwartz and features thirty-three stars, symbolizing Oregon's place as the thirty-third state to join the Union. Near the rotunda are eight painted medallions that represent the eight portions of the Oregon State Seal.[14] Also surrounding the rotunda are four murals featuring moments from Oregon history.[15] One mural depicts Captain Gray’s discovery of the Columbia River in 1792, another shows the Lewis and Clark Expedition and two others with scenes involving covered wagons from Oregon’s pioneer times. These four murals were painted by Schwarz and Barry Faulkner.[14] Other murals include the Provisional Government of Oregon’s salmon and wheat seal, the Oregon Territory’s seal, and four murals depicting Oregon’s industries.[14] The Capitol’s galleria area on the first floor includes hearing rooms, display cases, and the visitor information area.[14]

Oregon’s House chamber floor is covered with a custom carpet that has a pattern containing the state tree, Douglas-Fir.[14] The furniture and paneling of the chamber is made of golden oak. A large mural painted by Faulkner, depicting the 1843 Champoeg Meeting at which the Provisional Government was formed, is behind the desk of the Speaker of the House. The Senate chambers use black walnut for the paneling and furniture. A custom carpet using a theme of fishing and agriculture is on the floor.[14] The Senate’s large mural was painted by Schwarz and depicts a street scene in Salem when the news of statehood reached the city. Lining the walls of both chambers are 158 names inscribed in friezes. These are the names of prominent people in Oregon’s history.[14] On the second floor of the Capitol is the Governor’s Suite that contains both a ceremonial office and private offices for the state’s chief executive. As with the Senate chamber, the paneling is in black walnut. The ceremonial office includes a fireplace with a painting by Faulkner. The suite’s reception area includes a table made of 40 different species of tree.[14] This table is inlaid with a replica of Oregon’s second capitol building, the state flower (Oregon-grape) and the state bird (Western Meadowlark).[24]

Main entrance relief sculpture

On the outside of the building is a variety of artwork. Sculptor Leo Friedlander used Vermont marble for the large relief sculptures that are on both sides of the main entrance to the building. One shows Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea, the other has pioneers and a covered wagon, with both containing maps of Lewis and Clark’s route and the Oregon Trail on the reverse sides of the respective sculptures.[14] Additionally, Ellerhusen created five marble relief sculptures on the exterior, while a metal sculpture by Tom Morandi sits above the buildings south entrance.[14] Ellerhusen also cast six bronze sculptures that lie above the main entrance with three on the inside of the building and three on the outside.[14]

The building measures 693 feet by 259 feet six inches (211 m by 79 m).[24] The older main portion of the building is 53 feet six inches tall (16.3 m), while the newer wings added in 1977 are 68 feet eight inches (20.9 m) tall.[24] Inside, the building has approximately 233,750 square feet (21,716 square meters) of floor and 3.2 million cubic feet (90,600 cubic meters) of space overall.[24]

In 1997, the Legislative Assembly established the non-profit Oregon State Capitol Foundation to "create a living history, enhance the dignity and beauty of the Capitol, and foster cultural and educational opportunities." In 2005 the foundation completed the Walk of the Flags project, a display in Willson Park on the Capitol grounds of all 50 flags of the U.S. states.[25]

Capitol grounds

Walk of Flags on the Capitol grounds

Near the west entrance of the Capitol is a replica of Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell. This bell is one of 53 full-sized replicas made in France and donated by the United States government to each state.[24] Oregon received its copy on July 4 1950.[26] Throughout the grounds are native trees and shrubs, including Blue Spruce, Oregon-grape (the state flower), Giant Sequoia, Coast Redwood, Japanese Maple, Dogwood species, Bradford Pear, cherry tree species, English Holly, Rhododendron and magnolia tree species.[26] One Douglas-fir tree was grown using a seed that rode aboard Apollo 14 to the Moon in 1971 and was then transplanted to the capitol in 1976 from Oregon State University.[26]

On the east side of the building is Capitol Park which includes the Circuit Rider statue by A. Phimister Proctor, statues of John McLoughlin and Jason Lee by Gifford Proctor, and portions of the Corinthian columns of the second capitol building.[14][27] Lee established the Methodist Mission and what would become Willamette University. McLoughlin, of the Hudson's Bay Company, was proclaimed the Father of Oregon.[26] The Circuit Rider was added in 1924 as a monument to early preachers.[26] During the Columbus Day Storm in 1962 this statue was knocked over and damaged, and then restored and returned in 1963.[28] There is also a memorial to Oregon’s recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. This memorial was dedicated on September 18 2004 and has thirteen pillars made of granite with bronze plaques containing images and the medal citation for each recipient.[29]

To the west of the building is Willson Park, named for Salem founder William H. Willson and roughly at the center of his former landholdings.[30] From 1853 to 1965 it was a Salem city park. After the park was turned over to the state, Lloyd Bond and Associates were tasked with redesigning the park.[7] Willson Park has the Waite Fountain, a gazebo built in 1982, and the Parade of Animals sculpture.[14] The Parade of Animals was added in 1991 and was designed as a play structure.[26] Waite Fountain was donated in honor of Oregon businessperson E. M. Waite in 1907 by his wife.[26] The Breyman Brothers Fountain is located at the far west end of the park.[26] It was added in 1904 as a memorial to Werner and Eugene Breyman.[31] It was originally decorated with a statue of a soldier from the Spanish-American War, and also served as a lamp post and horse trough.[31] Today the statue holds no water and is sometimes planted with flowers.[32] In 2005, a Walk of Flags feature was added that displays the flags of every state in the Union.

Other features on the Capitol grounds include two other fountains, Sprague Fountain and the Wall of Water.[26] The Wall of Water is located across Court Street from the main entrance. It was added in 1990 and has 22 nozzles shooting water twelve feet into the air in a plaza that also has slabs of stone featuring information on Oregon’s history.[26] Added in 1985, the Capitol Beaver family represents the state animal.[26] Additional features of the grounds include a peace pole donated by the Society of Prayer for World Peace, a large boulder that once lay along the Oregon Trail, a planter that spells out Oregon using flowers, and a rose garden maintained by the Salem Rose Society.[26]

See also

The gold Oregon Pioneer

References

  1. ^ NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces.com: Marion County, Oregon
  2. ^ Scott, H. W., & Scott, L. M. (1924). History of the Oregon country. Cambridge: Printed by the Riverside Press. p. 187.
  3. ^ Native Sons of Oregon. The Oregon Native Son. Vol. II, p. 294. Portland, Or: Native Son Pub. Co, 1899.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Horner, John B. (1921). Oregon: Her History, Her Great Men, Her Literature. The J.K. Gill Co.: Portland. p. 125, 153-4, 176
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j First State House. Oregon State Capitol, R HMC-1111 (Salem Public Library)
  6. ^ a b c d Corning, Howard M. Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing, 1956.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Oregon State Capitol and the Capitol Mall
  8. ^ a b Knowlton, Stefanie. Salem firefighter preserves department's lore. The Statesman Journal, January 20 2003.
  9. ^ a b The State House of 1853. Oregon State Capitol, R HMC-978 (Salem Public Library).
  10. ^ Magazine Section. The Oregonian, May 12, 1935 (p. 6).
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Belton, Howard. Under Eleven Governors. Binford & Mort, 1977.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m The Oregonian, January 15 1893.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h 2nd Capitol Fire. Oregon Journal, April 26 1935.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Oregon State Capitol History
  15. ^ a b Yeager, Angela. Oregon's history is in our back yard. Statesman Journal, January 1 2004.
  16. ^ a b c Filips, Janet. A capitol idea. The Oregonian, September 27 1988.
  17. ^ a b c OSB Bulletin Magazine: June 2003
  18. ^ Oregon’s Bronze “Pioneer” Rises to Resting Place on Capitol Top. Statesman Journal, September 18 1938.
  19. ^ a b Graff, Randy. Sight lines: Losing the spirit. The Oregonian, February 15 2004.
  20. ^ a b Wong, Peter. Capitol reunion spotlights rooms. Statesman Journal, December 1 2002.
  21. ^ Tomlinson, Stuart. What have we learned? The Oregonian, March 20 1994.
  22. ^ Esteve, Harry. Inside the capitol: Stopping sky from falling takes money. The Oregonian, April 27 2007.
  23. ^ a b Wong, Peter. Capitol to glow with solar flair. The Statesman Journal, January 20 2003.
  24. ^ a b c d e Oregon Capitol Guide. Oregon Department of Transportation.
  25. ^ Oregon Legislature: Walk of the Flags
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l A Walking Tour: State of Oregon Capitol Grounds. Published by the Oregon Department of General Services.
  27. ^ Oregon Historic Photograph collections Portions of the columns were discovered along Mill Creek in Salem and were placed on display on the Capitol grounds and at the Marion County Historical Society.
  28. ^ Restoring Circuit Rider statue damaged in Columbus Day storm in Salem, Oregon, 1963
  29. ^ Veterans Memorials in Oregon
  30. ^ Salem Online History: William H. Willson
  31. ^ a b Oregon Historic Photograph Collections
  32. ^ Salem Then & Now: Breyman Fountain Willson Park
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