Alaska State Capitol
Encyclopedia
The Alaska State Capitol is the state capital of Alaska
. Located in the state capital of Juneau
at the corner of East 4th Street and Main Street, it houses the Alaska Legislature
and the offices for the governor of Alaska and lieutenant governor of Alaska.
. In 1808, the capital was relocated to New Archangel, known nowadays as Sitka. With the United States Alaska Purchase
of 1867, Sitka became the headquarters of the Military Department of Alaska
under U.S. Army Major General Jefferson C. Davis
. In 1877, the army was redeployed from Alaska to the Nez Perce War
, and no administration was present until 1879, when the U.S. Navy established a presence at Sitka under Commander Lester A. Beardslee
. By the Organic Act of 1884, the U.S. Congress established the District of Alaska
, with "temporary seat of government" at Sitka, and a presidentially appointed administration, directed initially by Governor John Henry Kinkead
. In 1900, Congress passed a Civil Code transferring the seat from Sitka to Juneau, which had surpassed Sitka in economic growth and importance. http://www.juneaualaska.com/history/history_1900capmove.shtml
The United States Congress
authorized funds to construct a capitol building for what was then the Alaska Territory
in 1911. Construction was delayed by World War I
and difficulty purchasing the necessary land. Local citizens donated some of the funds required, and construction began on September 18, 1929. The building, originally named the Federal and Territorial Building, was dedicated on February 14, 1931. It was designed by Treasury Department
architects under Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore
in the Art Deco
architectural style
. The building was used initially by the federal government
and housed a federal courthouse
and a post office
. Since Alaska gained statehood
in 1959 with the Alaska Statehood Act
the building has been used by the state government.
began an editorial push to relocate the capital somewhere nearer to commerce and the Alaskan mainstream. This effort culminated in ballot initiatives to relocate the capital to the "Cook Inlet
-Railbelt area" (1960) and to "Western Alaska ... not within thirty miles of Anchorage
" (1962). Both measures were defeated at the polls, but a third initiative in 1974 passed, followed by a 1976 ballot which selected the town Willow
(in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, near Anchorage) as the site of the new capital. In 1978 and 1982, however, measures to fund the relocation of the capital were defeated. Outgoing governor Jay Hammond
, describing his administration's management of the capital relocation question, said that in the end he was able to "lance this boil".
In 1994, a ballot initiative to relocate the capital to Wasilla
was defeated, as was a 2002 proposal to hold sessions of the state legislature in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/capmove.htm
submitted a competing plan for a traditional Capitol that garnered much friendly attention. http://www.tndtownpaper.com/Volume7/alaska_deserves.htm Cusato's designed involved a mixture of Federal architecture
(main building) and Russian church architecture
(dome and tower) to celebrate Alaska's American and Russian heritage. The winning design by Morphosis and mmenseArchitects was a glass and steel complex with an egg-shaped atrium.
The building is six stories high and made from brick
-faced reinforced concrete
, with a facade of Indiana limestone
on the first two floors. The portico
has four column
s made of Tokeen marble
from Prince of Wales Island
, which is also used for interior trim. Because it lacks the large landscaped grounds of most state capitols, it could appear to be simply an office building. It is one of only eleven state capitols (along with those of Delaware
, Hawaii
, Louisiana
, New Mexico
, New York
, North Dakota, Ohio
, Oregon
, Tennessee
and Virginia
) that do not feature a dome
.
Outside the building is a replica of the Liberty Bell
, of the type given to all states and territories by the federal government in 1950 to help raise support for savings bond drives.
The lobby features clay
mural
s titled Harvest of the Land and Harvest of the Sea, representing hunting
and fishing
, as well as a bust of Alaska Native
activist Elizabeth Peratrovich
. Offices and committee rooms fill the ground and first floors.
The second floor houses the chambers of the Alaska Senate
and Alaska House of Representatives
, as well as committee rooms. The walls feature the work of early Juneau photographers Lloyd Winter and Percy Pond, and busts of the first two U.S. Senators
from Alaska, Bob Bartlett
and Ernest Gruening
.
The governor and lieutenant governor's offices are on the third floor. The executive office doors are made of black birch
, with hand carvings depicting Alaskan industry. The "Hall of Governors" features portraits of governors and lieutenant governors of Alaska from the District of Alaska
era to the present.
More legislative offices and committee rooms occupy the fourth floor. The fifth floor holds legislative finance committees.
Many areas of the building have been restored to their original 1930s appearance, especially on the second and fifth floors—the latter originally had federal courtrooms.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. Located in the state capital of Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
at the corner of East 4th Street and Main Street, it houses the Alaska Legislature
Alaska Legislature
The Alaska Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a bicameral institution, consisting of the lower Alaska House of Representatives, with 40 members, and the upper house Alaska Senate, with 20 members...
and the offices for the governor of Alaska and lieutenant governor of Alaska.
History
In 1792, the first capital of Russian America was established at KodiakKodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
. In 1808, the capital was relocated to New Archangel, known nowadays as Sitka. With the United States Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
of 1867, Sitka became the headquarters of the Military Department of Alaska
Department of Alaska
The Department of Alaska was the designation for the government of Alaska from its purchase by the United States of America in 1867 until its organization as the District of Alaska in 1884. During the department era, Alaska was variously under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army , the United States...
under U.S. Army Major General Jefferson C. Davis
Jefferson C. Davis
Jefferson Columbus Davis was an officer in the United States Army who served in the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Modoc War. He was the first commander of the Department of Alaska, from 1868 to 1870...
. In 1877, the army was redeployed from Alaska to the Nez Perce War
Nez Perce War
The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government fought in 1877 as part of the American Indian Wars. After a series of battles in which both the U.S. Army and native people sustained significant casualties, the Nez Perce surrendered and were relocated...
, and no administration was present until 1879, when the U.S. Navy established a presence at Sitka under Commander Lester A. Beardslee
Lester A. Beardslee
Lester Anthony Beardslee was an officer in the United States Navy who served as the commander of the Department of Alaska from June 14, 1879 to September 12, 1880, and as Captain of the USS Jamestown.-Notes:...
. By the Organic Act of 1884, the U.S. Congress established the District of Alaska
District of Alaska
The District of Alaska was the governmental designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously it had been known as the Department of Alaska. At the time, legislators in Washington, D.C., were occupied with post-Civil War reconstruction issues,...
, with "temporary seat of government" at Sitka, and a presidentially appointed administration, directed initially by Governor John Henry Kinkead
John Henry Kinkead
John Henry Kinkead was an American businessman and politician who served as the third Governor of Nevada and the first Governor of the District of Alaska...
. In 1900, Congress passed a Civil Code transferring the seat from Sitka to Juneau, which had surpassed Sitka in economic growth and importance. http://www.juneaualaska.com/history/history_1900capmove.shtml
First Home
The first home for the Alaska Territorial Legislature was Elks Lodge Hall in Juneau in 1913 and one of several halls to serve the purpose until the permanent building was completed in 1931.Building the capitol
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized funds to construct a capitol building for what was then the Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
The Territory of Alaska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 24, 1912, until January 3, 1959, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Alaska...
in 1911. Construction was delayed by World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and difficulty purchasing the necessary land. Local citizens donated some of the funds required, and construction began on September 18, 1929. The building, originally named the Federal and Territorial Building, was dedicated on February 14, 1931. It was designed by Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
architects under Acting Supervising Architect James A. Wetmore
James A. Wetmore
James A. Wetmore was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect from 1915 through 1933. Wetmore is frequently and incorrectly described as the "architect" of the many federal buildings that bear his...
in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
architectural style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
. The building was used initially by the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and housed a federal courthouse
United States federal courts
The United States federal courts make up the judiciary branch of federal government of the United States organized under the United States Constitution and laws of the federal government.-Categories:...
and a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. Since Alaska gained statehood
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
in 1959 with the Alaska Statehood Act
Alaska Statehood Act
The Alaska Statehood Act was signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on July 7, 1958, allowing Alaska to become the 49th U.S. state on January 3, 1959.-History: the road to Statehood:...
the building has been used by the state government.
Relocation controversy
In 1960, Anchorage Daily Times publisher Robert AtwoodRobert Atwood
Robert Bruce Atwood was the long-time editor and publisher of the Anchorage Times, and a proponent of Alaska statehood.-Biography:...
began an editorial push to relocate the capital somewhere nearer to commerce and the Alaskan mainstream. This effort culminated in ballot initiatives to relocate the capital to the "Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet
Cook Inlet stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage....
-Railbelt area" (1960) and to "Western Alaska ... not within thirty miles of Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
" (1962). Both measures were defeated at the polls, but a third initiative in 1974 passed, followed by a 1976 ballot which selected the town Willow
Willow, Alaska
Willow is a census-designated place in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 1,658.-History:...
(in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, near Anchorage) as the site of the new capital. In 1978 and 1982, however, measures to fund the relocation of the capital were defeated. Outgoing governor Jay Hammond
Jay Hammond
Jay Sterner Hammond was an American politician of the Republican Party, who served as the fourth Governor of Alaska from 1974 to 1982.-Early life:...
, describing his administration's management of the capital relocation question, said that in the end he was able to "lance this boil".
In 1994, a ballot initiative to relocate the capital to Wasilla
Wasilla, Alaska
Wasilla is a city in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, United States and the sixth-largest city in Alaska. It is located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley of the southcentral part of the state. The city's population was 7,831 at the 2010 census...
was defeated, as was a 2002 proposal to hold sessions of the state legislature in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/ltgov/elections/capmove.htm
Capitol redesign
A competition was sponsored by the Juneau Capitol Planning Commission in 2004 to design a replacement building, but after controversy about the unconventional nature of many of the proposed designs, lack of support from the state government, and lack of funding, all plans were abandoned in 2005. Alaska-born architect Marianne CusatoMarianne Cusato
Marianne Cusato is a designer, educator, author, and urban designer based in Greenwich Village in New York City. She was the designer of the "Katrina Cottage," conceived in 2005 as an alternative to the FEMA emergency trailers supplied to some of the newly-homeless survivors of Hurricane Katrina...
submitted a competing plan for a traditional Capitol that garnered much friendly attention. http://www.tndtownpaper.com/Volume7/alaska_deserves.htm Cusato's designed involved a mixture of Federal architecture
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
(main building) and Russian church architecture
Russian church architecture
The Russian Orthodox churches are distinguished by their verticality, bright colors and multiple domes which provide a striking contrast with the flat Russian landscape often covered in snow. The very first churches in Kievan Rus', such as the 13-domed wooden St. Sophia Cathedral in Novgorod,...
(dome and tower) to celebrate Alaska's American and Russian heritage. The winning design by Morphosis and mmenseArchitects was a glass and steel complex with an egg-shaped atrium.
Architecture and interior
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
-faced reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
, with a facade of Indiana limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
on the first two floors. The portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
has four column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s made of Tokeen marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
from Prince of Wales Island
Prince of Wales Island, Alaska
Prince of Wales Island is one of the islands of the Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle. It is the fourth-largest island in the United States and the 97th-largest island in the world....
, which is also used for interior trim. Because it lacks the large landscaped grounds of most state capitols, it could appear to be simply an office building. It is one of only eleven state capitols (along with those of Delaware
Delaware State Capitol
The Delaware Legislative Hall is the state capitol building of Delaware located in the state capital of Dover on Court Street. It houses the chambers and offices of the Delaware General Assembly.-Old State House:...
, Hawaii
Hawaii State Capitol
The Hawaii State Capitol is the official statehouse or capitol building of Hawaii in the United States. From its chambers, the executive and legislative branches perform the duties involved in governing the state...
, Louisiana
Louisiana State Capitol
The Louisiana State Capitol building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the Louisiana State Legislature, the governor's office, and parts of the executive branch...
, New Mexico
New Mexico State Capitol
The New Mexico State Capitol, located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the house of government of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the only round state capitol in the United States, and is known informally as "the Roundhouse"....
, New York
New York State Capitol
The New York State Capitol is the capitol building of the U.S. state of New York. Housing the New York State Legislature, it is located in the state capital city Albany, on State Street in Capitol Park. The building, completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million , was the most expensive government...
, North Dakota, Ohio
Ohio Statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the house of government for the state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building houses the Ohio General Assembly and the ceremonial offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, and Auditor....
, Oregon
Oregon State Capitol
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. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
, Tennessee
Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is the home of the Tennessee legislature, the location of the governor's office, and a National Historic Landmark. Designed by architect William Strickland, it is one of Nashville's most prominent examples of Greek Revival architecture...
and Virginia
Virginia State Capitol
The Virginia State Capitol is the seat of state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, located in Richmond, the third capital of Virginia. It houses the oldest legislative body in the United States, the Virginia General Assembly...
) that do not feature a dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
.
Outside the building is a replica of the Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
, of the type given to all states and territories by the federal government in 1950 to help raise support for savings bond drives.
The lobby features clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s titled Harvest of the Land and Harvest of the Sea, representing hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
and fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, as well as a bust of Alaska Native
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
activist Elizabeth Peratrovich
Elizabeth Peratrovich
Elizabeth Peratrovich , Tlingit nation, was an important civil rights activist; she worked on behalf of equality for Alaska Natives...
. Offices and committee rooms fill the ground and first floors.
The second floor houses the chambers of the Alaska Senate
Alaska Senate
The Alaska Senate is the upper house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The Senate consists of twenty members, each of whom represents an equal amount of districts with populations of about 31,347 people . Senators serve four-year terms, without term...
and Alaska House of Representatives
Alaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
, as well as committee rooms. The walls feature the work of early Juneau photographers Lloyd Winter and Percy Pond, and busts of the first two U.S. Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Alaska, Bob Bartlett
Bob Bartlett
Edward Lewis "Bob" Bartlett was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party.Bartlett was born in Seattle, Washington. After graduating from the University of Alaska in 1925, Bartlett began his career in politics...
and Ernest Gruening
Ernest Gruening
Ernest Henry Gruening was an American journalist and Democrat who was the Governor of the Alaska Territory from 1939 until 1953, and a United States Senator from Alaska from 1959 until 1969.-Early life:...
.
The governor and lieutenant governor's offices are on the third floor. The executive office doors are made of black birch
Black Birch
Black Birch may refer to:* Betula lenta* Betula nigra* Black Birch Ridge outside of Blenheim on the South Island of New Zealand* the Black Birch Astrometric Observatory at Black Birch Ridge...
, with hand carvings depicting Alaskan industry. The "Hall of Governors" features portraits of governors and lieutenant governors of Alaska from the District of Alaska
District of Alaska
The District of Alaska was the governmental designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884 to August 24, 1912, when it became Alaska Territory. Previously it had been known as the Department of Alaska. At the time, legislators in Washington, D.C., were occupied with post-Civil War reconstruction issues,...
era to the present.
More legislative offices and committee rooms occupy the fourth floor. The fifth floor holds legislative finance committees.
Many areas of the building have been restored to their original 1930s appearance, especially on the second and fifth floors—the latter originally had federal courtrooms.