State Capitols – Concord, New Hampshire

New Hampshire Capitol in Concord

Constructed: 1816-1819

Architect: Stuart James Park

State Admitted to Union: June 21, 1788 (9^th)

State Population [2010]: 1,316,470 (42^nd)

On September 2, I introduced the State Capitol Odyssey, my quest to visit and photograph all fifty American state houses.  As with most of my interests and ideas, this has been done before.  There is a terrific book by Susan Thrane and Tom Patterson – State Houses: America’s 50 State Capitol Buildings.  It presents informative essays and terrific, existing light photographs of every one.  I guess I will just stick with my blogging tales.

Given that my state house collection is incomplete, there are fewer ways to order their appearance here.  Since memories fade and notes are harder to locate, I will present them in the order in which they were visited…before I forget more.

Another thing…before we go any further, let’s straighten out the two related, same-sounding words.  Capitol – a building where the legislature meets.  Capital – the city where the government is located.

New Hampshire Senate (7 October 2009)

Four photos were taken from the Senate gallery and pasted together

In September of 2004, I was still a working stiff.  One of the best parts of my job in the electric utility environmental business was meeting with colleagues and experts in the field.  A good part of any success I had was due to the knowledge I gained in their company.  The meeting was in Massachusetts.  I drove there so I could take the weekend to chase down presidents’ graves and visit people. 

After spending the night in Concord with nephew and law student Justin Ripley and before paying my respects to Franklin Pierce (# 14), I wandered around the grounds of the capitol.  Since that was just a cursory, exterior visit and didn’t count until I explored the inside spaces, I returned in October 2009, on a wonderful road trip through the New England autumn…when nine more capitols were collected.

Hall of Flags, New Hampshire Capitol in Concord (7 October 2009)

New Hampshire was one of our original thirteen colonies and the capitol was built when people still remembered the revolution.  The granite to build it was quarried nearby [it is The Granite State, after all] and shaped into blocks by State Prison inmates.  Even though the capitol was enlarged through the years, the legislatures did not change.  Thus, they can boast the following…engraved near the entrance:

New Hampshire Capitol, Concord (7 October 2009)

The wonderful, quirky thing about this capitol and the state government is the House of Representatives.  The Senate is very modest chamber.  Nothing is secured to the floor.  Take away the murals and it’s the space where the PTA might meet there one day and square dance club will be there the next.

New Hampshire Senate as viewed from the public gallery (7 October 2009)

On the other hand, the House is something to behold.  With 400 members, it is the largest state legislative body…in the state with the 42^nd largest population.  That’s one representative for every 3300 citizens…and they earn a whopping $200 for every two-year term they serve.  This volunteer legislature is clearly not in it for the money.  With no desks, this auditorium chamber provides each representative with a seat and a set of buttons to cast votes. 

New Hampshire House of Representatives, Concord (7 October 2009)

I hope you enjoy these introductions to our state houses.  I want to do more of them sooner so they can become the core of a photo book…not the serious, published kind but the kind any of us can do using one of the internet-based businesses out there.  More on that in the next post.