| Vermont Statehouse | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | Montpelier, Vermont |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1833 |
| Architect: | Ammi Burnham Young Thomas Silloway |
| Architectural style(s): | Greek Revival |
| Designated as NHL: | December 30, 1970 |
| Added to NRHP: | December 30, 1970 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 70000739[1] |
| Governing body: | State |
The Vermont State House, located in Montpelier, Vermont, is the capitol and seat of Vermont General Assembly. Montpelier (mɒntˈpiːljɚ is a city in the US state of Vermont that serves as the state Capital and The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U The current Greek Revival structure is the third building on the same site to serve as the State House. The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries predominantly in northern Europe and the United States It was designed in 1857 and opened in 1859. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common
The Vermont State House has been carefully restored beginning in the early 1980s under the direction of curator David Schütz and the Friends of the Vermont State House, a citizens' advisory committee. Origins and mission The Friends of the Vermont State House is a non-profit corporation dedicated to the restoration conservation and interpretation of Vermont's historic The overall style of the building is Neoclassical with Greek Revival details and is furnished in American Empire, Renaissance Revival, and Rococo Revival styles. Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries predominantly in northern Europe and the United States Some rooms have been restored to represent latter nineteenth century styles including the Aesthetic Movement. This article is about aestheticism a term with a root meaning of sensuous Not to be confused with the religious practice of Asceticism: an abstinence from the sensual
The Vermont State House is located on State Street on the western edge of downtown Montpelier, a block north of the Winooski River. The Winooski River is a tributary of Lake Champlain, approximately 90 miles (145 km long in northern Vermont in the United States. Set against a wooded hillside (which was open pasture land at times through the building's history), the building and its distinctive gold leaf dome are easily visible while approaching Montpelier. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 The small size of Montpelier (the smallest city to serve as capital of a U. S. state) allows for the dome to be visible well before reaching the city limit along U.S. Route 2. US Route 2 is an east-west US Highway spanning across the northern continental United States.
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History and architecture
Exterior facade and dome
The current structure was designed by architect Thomas Silloway, (1828-1910) amplifying the design of an earlier structure (the second Vermont State House), designed by Ammi B. Young, (1798-1874) who was later the supervising architect of the U.S. Treasury. An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Ammi Burnham Young ( June 19, 1798 - March 14, 1874) was an important 19th century American Architect whose commissions transitioned The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939 The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. The earlier second State House was constructed on the same site between 1833–1838. Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Young's earlier structure was of a more chaste Greek Revival design and based upon the Temple of Theseus in Athens. The Temple of Hephaestus and Athena Ergane (Ναός του Ηφαίστου και της Αθηνάς Εργάνης also known as the Hephaisteion (Ηφαιστείον Gray Barre granite is used for the two-story cruciform design with a Doric portico and a low saucer dome echoing Benjamin Henry Latrobe's earliest design for the U. Barre is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical A portico is a Porch that is leading to the entrance of a building or extended as a Colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway supported by Columns Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe ( May 1, 1764 - September 3, 1820) was a British-born American Architect best known for his design of S. Capitol. Young's structure was nearly totally destroyed in a fire in January 1857. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Silloway was able to salvage the Doric portico, as well as portions of the granite walls. Silloway added an additional bay of windows on each side of the central portico and increased the height of the dome (copper on a wood substructure) to its current level. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 This may have been done to reflect the increased height of the new dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington designed by Thomas U. Walter which was under construction at the same time. Originally the dome and roofs were painted a dark terracotta red to suggest Tuscan tile. The dome was not gilded until the early twentieth century, when many states did so as a part of the Colonial Revival movement. The Colonial Revival was a Nationalistic Architectural style and Interior design movement in the United States. The dome is topped by a statue titled Agriculture though more commonly referred to as Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The original statue was carved by Vermont artist Larkin Goldsmith Mead, who carved the large bust of Lincoln in the Hall of Inscriptions on the State House's ground floor. Larkin Goldsmith Mead ( January 3 1835 - 1910 was an American sculptor. The current statue is a replacement, and something of a piece of folk art, based on Mead's original. It was carved in 1938 by then 87-year old Dwight Dwinell, Sergeant-at-Arms (in Vermont this official position is similar in nature to the White House Chief Usher). White House Chief Usher is the title of the head of household staff and operations at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of The Doric portico, the main ceremonial entrance, houses a granite statue of Ethan Allen. Ethan Allen (January 10 1738 – February 12 1789 was an early American revolutionary and guerrilla leader who fought against the Province of New York Ethan Allen was a founder of Vermont and commander of the Green Mountain Boys, an early Vermont military infantry active during the Vermont Republic, (1777-1791). The Green Mountain Boys were historically the militia of the Vermont Republic. The term Vermont Republic has been used by 20th and 21st century writers to describe the period of the U The statue was carved by Aristide Piccini in 1941, to replace the original marble version carved by Larkin Goldsmith Mead in 1858. The architect Stanford White (1853-1906) considered Silloway's Vermont State House to be the finest example of the Greek Revival style in the United States. Stanford White ( November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American Architect and partner in the architectural firm of
Interiors, furnishings, and decorative arts
The State House contains two primary floors accessible by a pair of circular stairways opening into the ground floor Cross Hall. An elevator is also available. The Entrance Hall is of the Greek Ionic Order and flanked by portraits of U. S. Presidents Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur, both native to Vermont. John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929 Chester Alan Arthur (October 5 1829 &ndash November 18 1886 was an American politician who served as the twenty-first President of the United States. The tall double front doors were painted and then coated with a metallic powder to appear as bronze in 1859. The Entrance Hall contains a portrait of Montpelier native Admiral Dewey on the bridge of his flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay. George Dewey ( December 26, 1837 &ndash January 16, 1917) was an Admiral of the United States Navy, best known for his The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The Vermont State House does not have a rotunda, the dome being located almost directly above the ceiling of Representatives Hall on the second floor. The principal space for civic reflection is the Hall of Inscriptions, a Doric pilastered corridor featuring eight monumental marble tablets incised with quotations about the distinct nature of Vermont's culture and heritage. The tablets quote the Vermont Constitution, Ethan Allen, Calvin Coolidge, George Aiken, Warren Austin, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher among others. The Constitution of the State of Vermont is the fundamental body of law of the U Ethan Allen (January 10 1738 – February 12 1789 was an early American revolutionary and guerrilla leader who fought against the Province of New York John Calvin Coolidge Jr (July 4 1872 January 5 1933 was the thirtieth President of the United States (1923–1929 For the playwright see George Aiken (playwright. George David Aiken ( August 20, 1892 – November 19, Warren Robinson Austin ( November 12, 1877 – December 25, 1962) was an American politician and statesman among other roles Dorothy Canfield Fisher ( February 17, 1879 – November 9, 1958) was an educational reformer social activist and best-selling American author Each tablet features fourteen gilded stars, representing Vermont's fourteen counties, the state's fourteen years as an independent republic, and being the fourteenth state to join the federal Union. The four corners of each tablet feature a sheath of grain, a detail found in the Great Seal of Vermont, designed by Ira Allen. The Great Seal of Vermont is the official seal of the US state of Vermont, used to emboss and authenticate official documents Ira Allen ( April 21, 1751 - January 7, 1814) was one of the founders of Vermont and leaders of the Green Mountain Boys
The ceremonial office of the Governor of Vermont, used during legislative sessions for meetings and bill signings is located in the second floor west wing of the building. The Governor of Vermont is the Governor ( Chief executive, Head of government) of the U The Executive Chamber has been restored to its 1859 appearance with pediment hooded windows supported by Italianate style brackets, and gilded Rococo Revival drapery cornices. In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century A Wilton style carpet in crimson, azure blue and gold was rewoven as part of the restoration. The Vermont Governor's working office and private apartments are located nearby at The Pavilion, built in the French Second Empire style and located just east of the Vermont Supreme Court. The Pavilion is the principal workplace of the Governor of Vermont, it is located at 109 State Street in Montpelier capital of the U The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870 between the Second The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest Judicial authority of the U Portraits of Vermont governors, including Howard Dean (who is shown in an idiosyncratic pose in a canoe amid a natural setting) are displayed through the first and second floors of the building. Howard Brush Dean III, (born November 17 1948 is an American A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors The State House corridors act as a sort of "national portrait gallery" for the state, commemorating famous Vermonters including Edna Beard the first woman elected to the Vermont legislature in 1921; Consuelo Northrop Bailey, the first woman to argue before the Supreme Court of the United States and first woman elected to the Vermont House Speakership; Warren Robinson Austin, early ambassador to the United Nations; and Madeleine M. Kunin, Vermont's first woman governor and former U. Warren Robinson Austin ( November 12, 1877 – December 25, 1962) was an American politician and statesman among other roles The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Madeleine May Kunin (born September 28 1933) is a Swiss - American diplomat and politician S. Ambassador to Switzerland.
The two chambers of the Vermont General Assembly are on the second floor. While both chambers have overhead visitors' galleries accessible on a third floor mezzanine, visitors are welcome to quietly enter and sit in the main floor of the chambers. Contrary to the tradition of decorating the upper house in red and the lower house in green, established by the House of Lords and House of Commons in the United Kingdom, Vermont reserves the state colors of green and gold for its upper house, the Vermont Senate. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords The Vermont Senate is the Upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U Red and gold is used for the Vermont House of Representatives which meets in Representatives Hall. The Vermont House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U A large plaster ceiling medallion in the center of the chamber in the form of a lotus with a center rosette of acanthus leaves hold a two-tiered electrified gasolier manufactured in Philadelphia by Cornelius and Baker. Each petal of the rosette weighs approximately 500 pounds. Brilliant axminster carpets have been recreated for both chambers based on old stereoscope views and small scraps found in an attic. Stereoscopy, stereoscopic imaging or 3-D (three-dimensional imaging is any technique capable of recording three-dimensional visual On either side of the rostrum in Representatives Hall, are a series of connected elliptical-backed seats designed to fill the north wall of the chamber. The seats are upholstered and tufted in crimson and are used to seat members of the Vermont Senate during joint sessions of the General Assembly. The seats also accommodate the justices of the State's high court for the Governor's State-of-the-State Address and the inauguration of governors. The State of the State Address is a speech customarily given once each Year by the Governors of most states of the United States. Citizens frequently occupy these seats when the House is in separate session, or for large public hearings.
The second floor of the west wing holds the Cedar Creek Room, a large reception room featuring a mural painted by Julian Scott in 1874. Julian A Scott ( February 14, 1846 &ndash July 4, 1901) was born in Johnson Vermont and was a Union Army drummer during The mural nearly fills the south wall and depicts the Battle of Cedar Creek during the American Civil War. The Battle of Cedar Creek, or The Battle of Belle Grove, October 19 1864, was one of the final and most decisive battles in the Valley Campaigns Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The painting highlights the contributions of Vermont troops in the battle. The room is illuminated by two stained glass skylights in the deeply coffered ceiling dating to 1859 when the room housed the State Library. For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art At some point the skylight was broken, and he opening closed off. In 1970, during renovation work, workers discovered the broken pieces neatly stacked in the attic above the room. The pieces were reassembled, conserved, and reinstalled in the mid-1980s. One window (shown at left) depicts the obverse of the Vermont State Coat-of-Arms, which is a more painterly armorial representation of the Great Seal of Vermont (reserved solely for embossing documents), the arms are topped by the head of a buck White-tailed Deer and circled by branches of Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus). The Coat of arms of Vermont is the official armorial bearings of the U The Great Seal of Vermont is the official seal of the US state of Vermont, used to emboss and authenticate official documents The White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) also known as the Virginia deer, or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized Deer found throughout Eastern White Pine' ( Pinus strobus) is a large Pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota Pine badges were worn as an expression of Vermont identity by citizens while the state was a republic, and again during the American Civil War by Vermont's military regiments. The other skylight features the rarely seen reverse of the State Coat-of-Arms: a female embodiment of the state referred to as "Vermontannia. " The wall stencils in the Cedar Creek Room are the original patterns, recreated based upon old photographs, and the colors were matched by paint analysis. She is seated among sheaths of corn and wheat, representing Vermont's agricultural history. This room is restored to its 1888 appearance when the room was converted from the State Library to use as a governor's reception room. The walls, and 20-foot ceilings are polychrome painted in a complex palette of tertiary colors: burnished copper, russet, salmon, and a deep blue green with overlays of metallic stencilling. For the character from the Oz series see Polychrome (fictional character. The style is largely of the Aesthetic Movement.
Most of the furnishings in the building date to the 1859 reconstruction of the State House, including the 30 black walnut chairs in the Vermont Senate chamber, still used for the same purpose today. Walnuts (genus Juglans) are Plants in the family Juglandaceae. The Vermont Senate is the Upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U Several American Empire style sofas, a set of klismos style chairs, carved black walnut Renaissance Revival style chairs for the Senate President and House Speaker, and suites of Rococo Revival settées and chairs also date to the completion of Silloway's reconstruction. The majority of the lighting fixtures in the building are original, restored and electrified ormolu gas chandeliers and wall sconces manufactured in Philadelphia by Cornelius and Baker in the 1850s. Ormolu (from French or moulu, signifying gold ground or pounded is an 18th-century English term for applying finely ground high-karat gold to an object in bronze The large two tiered, twenty-six light chandelier in Representatives Hall features sculptures of mythological figures including a copy of Vermont sculptor Hiram Powers' The Greek Slave which became an Abolitionist icon. Hiram Powers ( June 29, 1805 - June 27, 1873) was a US neoclassical sculptor. Only the large portrait of George Washington, painted c. 1837 by George Gassner after Gilbert Stuart, which hangs above the speaker's chair in Representatives Hall, survived the fire of 1857. Gilbert Charles Stuart (born Stewart) (December 3 1755 &ndash July 9 1828 was an American painter from Rhode Island.
Use of the Vermont State House
Vermont's reputation for transparent, open government is reflected in the State House's nickname "the People's House. " The State House is a hardworking living museum where lawmakers and citizens easily intersect. It is open to visitors with remarkably few restrictions whether the legislature is in session, or not. While the primary use of the Vermont State House is as the seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government, it has from its beginnings also functioned as an informal cultural center. The large Representatives Hall is used for evening concerts titled "Farmers Nights" in the winter months. During warmer weather, the public lawn on the south side is used for concerts by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, municipal bands from around the state, marching regimental bagpipe tattoos, modern dance concerts, as well as provide space for local residents to sit, eat, and play sports. The Vermont Symphony Orchestra ( VSO) is a Symphony orchestra based in and supported in part by the U Quilts, ceramics, photography and paintings by citizens periodically hang in the building's corridors, committee and caucus rooms, and dining room. In recent years each February 14 the columns of the portico and lawn are mysteriously bedecked with red hearts by the Valentine Bandit. The Valentine Phantom often referred to as the Valentine Bandit in media reports refers to an individual or group who each Valentine's Day secretly decorate the downtown In addition, the public lawn and steps of the portico serve as a well-used platform for peaceful demonstrations, press conferences by various official and non-official groups, and for formally welcoming official visitors to the State of Vermont.
Bibliography and further reading
- Allen, Ira [1798] (1969). Ira Allen ( April 21, 1751 - January 7, 1814) was one of the founders of Vermont and leaders of the Green Mountain Boys The natural and political history of the State of Vermont, one of the United States of America. Charles E. Tuttle Company. ISBN 0-8048-0419-2.
- Conti, Flavio. The Focus on Democracy. HBJ Press, division of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. : 1977.
- Doyle, William T. The Vermont Political Tradition and Those Who Helped Make It. Doyle: 1987.
- Federal Writers' Project. Vermont: A Guide to the Green Mountain State. Houghton Mifflin Company: 1937.
- Goodsell, Charles T. The American Statehouse: Interpreting Democracy's Temples. University Press of Kansas: 2001.
- Kennedy, Roger G. Greek Revival America. Stewart Tabori & Chang: 1989.
- Morrissey, Charles T. "The Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier: Symbol of the Green Mountain State. " The Magazine Antiques. October 1984: 891-899.
- Merrill, Perry H. Montpelier: The Capital City's History: 1780-1976. self published: 1976.
- Nye, Mary Greene. Vermont's State House. The State of Vermont Department of Conservation and Development, Publicity Service: 1931.
- Peck, Amelia. American Revival Styles, 1840-1876. The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 2003.
- Robbins, Daniel. The Vermont State House: A History and Guide. The Vermont State House Preservation Committee: 1980.
- Scott, Pamela. Temple of Liberty. Oxford University Press, Library of Congress: 1995.
- Sudjic, Deyan, and Helen Jones. Architecture and Democracy. Laurence King Publishing: 2001.
- Thrane, Susan W. and Tom Patterson. State Houses: America's 50 State Capitol Buildings. The Boston Mills Press: 2005.
- Van de Water, Frederic Franklyn (1974). The Reluctant Republic: Vermont 1724–1791. The Countryman Press. ISBN 0-914378-02-3.
- Zieber, Eugene, Heraldry in America: The Civic Armorial Bearings of American States. Greenwich House: 1974.
References
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor
External links
- Photographs of Vermont Senate chandelier; Representatives Hall chandelier, carpet and furnishings at the Vermont State House by Sara Lovering.
- Photographs of the Cedar Creek Room at the Vermont State House by Sara Lovering.
- Photograph of the official portrait of Howard Dean at the Vermont State House by Sara Lovering.
- Daguerreotype of the Second Vermont State House.
- Rebuilding the Vermont State House (1857-1859).
- G. P. Marsh - Thomas W. Silloway Correspondence.
- Site of the Friends of the Vermont State House.
- Listen to Vermont Public Radio audio tours of the Vermont State House with curator David Schütz.
- Vermont's Historic State House.
- Photographs of Vermont's State House by Donald Leslie Mark.
- The Green Mountain Brass performs in Representatives Hall during a "Farm Night".
- Vermont State House Statues by Larkin Goldsmith Mead, Jr.
- Conservation and restoration of Vermont State House furnishings.
- National Park Service: Vermont State House
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