Mississippi State Capitol

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The Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Mississippi, housing the Mississippi Legislature.

1 The "New" Capitol
2 The Old Capitol
3 External links
4 References

[edit] The "New" Capitol

The current Mississippi State Capitol building, often called the "New Capitol," is located in downtown Jackson and has been the home to Mississippi's state legislature since 1903. It is the third capitol building in Jackson.

The building was erected on the site of the old state penitentiary and was designed by Theodore Link, an architect from St. Louis, Missouri. The building cost $1,093,641 dollars, which was paid by the Illinois Central Railroad via back taxes they owed the state.

The capitol is 402 feet long and 180 feet to the top of the dome. The exterior is made up of Georgia granite, foundation concrete walls and bedford limestone.

The Beaux-Arts architecture style building was designed to house all branches of the Mississippi state government. Currently, only the Legislature and the executive branches are contained in the capitol. The judicial branch is housed in the Gartin Justice Building across High Street.

In the Rotunda, walls are Italian white marble with a base of New York jet black marble. Eight big columns are art marble called scagliola. The dome interior contains 750 lights which illuminate the blind-folded lady representing "Blind Justice" and four scenes: two Indians, a Spanish explorer and a Confederate general. Balustrades are cast iron and original to the building.

An eight feet tall and fifteen feet wide eagle soars above the dome, made of solid copper and gilded with gold leaf.

In 1979, the capitol building underwent a complete renovation, which cost $19 million. The renovation remained true to the original building and strived to maintain the original design when at all possible. It was completed in 1983.

The Hall of Governors is located on the first floor. Portraits of Mississippi's governors since the creation of the Mississippi Territory in 1798 are on display. The State Library and the Supreme Court chambers, now both committee meeting rooms, are located on the second floor. The Legislature is housed on the third floor, along with the Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House's offices. Public viewing balconies for both chambers is located on the fourth floor.

The Senate Chamber houses 52 members and the Lt. Governor is the presiding officer. The Chamber is art marble with the base of Belgium black marble. Its columns are Breccia Violet with corinthian caps. Its Dome is Bohemian stained glass with another dome on top for protection. In the center of the dome is a green circle of printing that says, "The people's government made for the people by the people and answerable to the people." An Indian Princess on six wooden panels is Theresa Whitecloud, a full blooded Choctaw Indian Princess, who died in 1970. The Chamber desks were replaced in the 1940's.

The House of Representatives Chamber houses 122 members and the Speaker of the House is the presiding officer. The Chamber dome is the original Bohemian stained glass with another dome on top for protection of the stained glass. Desks are the originals from 1903. The Mississippi Coat of Arms is at the top of each arch. The walls are art marble and their base is Belgium black marble.

One of the 53 replicas of the original Liberty Bell, as well as a statue erected in memory of the ladies, mothers, sisters, wives and daughters of the Confederate soldiers is located on the capitol grounds. Among the trees on the grounds are the state tree, the magnolia tree, along with two Japanaese magnolia trees. Also on the grounds is the figurehead from the second USS Mississippi battleship. The ship was sold to Greece in 1914 but the figurehead was presented to Mississippi by the United States Navy in December 1909.

Another perspective of the "New" Mississippi State Capitol building. Photo by Chuck Kelly	"New" Mississippi State Capitol second floor looking forward. Photo by Chuck Kelly	"New" Mississippi State Capitol second floor looking up. Photo by Chuck Kelly	"New" Mississippi State Capitol rotunda. Photo by Chuck Kelly
"New" Mississippi State Capitol bathroom door that is less than 6 feet tall. Photo by Chuck Kelly