State Capitols – Springfield, Illinois – Part 2 – Inside

The completion of this capitol was delayed a couple of times due to the lack of funds and the death of the architect. The printed material that a visitor can obtain proudly notes that the job was finished in 1888 at a cost of $4.3 million...and a balance of $6.35 was returned to the state treasury.

How lucky I was to go into the building when I did. In 2006, I woke up in Springfield and the plan was to visit Lincoln’s grave. The state house visit was a quickie morning sidebar activity and it was too early to go inside. I walked around the building, fired off a few shots and went to see Abe. The plan that day was to head to Iowa and see Herbert Hoover that afternoon. Turns out a major restoration was completed in 2007 so, the place was gleaming when I returned in June 2009.

Rotunda, Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

The Illinois capitol is absolutely stunning since it was restored. Imagine a space that pre-dated electricity and was lit with gas lamps. The rotunda area was illuminated with 144 of them. The carbon deposits that accumulated over decades totally blackened the dome. Over a hundred years passed before it was cleaned to reveal a rotunda that just glows in this light. [A photography tip – If you have the time and patience, wait for an overcast sky so the light through the dome windows is uniform and soft. Harsh, direct sunlight streaming through one side of the dome and shining on the opposite side will make hot spots that burn out the color and details.]

Grand Staircase, 

Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

The Illinois State Capitol is a fine site that documents, with photos, all the features of the building...floor by floor. Each of the sculptures and paintings are also described and illustrated. The site notes that the architect Alfred Piquenard was also contracted to build the Iowa Capitol in 1870. In 1874, the Iowa Governor, Cyrus Clay inspected the Illinois construction with his Statehouse Commissioners. They returned to Iowa with two beautiful statues designed for this Grand Staircase by Piquenard, “because the scantily clad ladies were deemed inappropriate by the more prudish Illinois Statehouse Commissioners.” I will have to be sure I see them when I visit Des Moines.

The entire wall at the end of the west wing has this painting of George Rogers Clark negotiating with Native Americans at Fort Kaskaskia in 1778. It is the largest painting in the Capitol and is best viewed from the third floor. It was done by Gustav A. Fuchs, a German immigrant from Chicago, and completed in 1886. The painting measures 40 x 20 feet and has been criticized because the native culture portrayed was never found in Illinois. [From - http://www.ilstatehouse.com/3rd_floor.htm ]

Room 212, the Former Supreme Court Chamber, 

Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

Room 212 in the Capitol was originally the home of the Illinois Supreme Court. This beautiful room was modeled after the Doge's palace in Venice and is known for its extravagantly decorated walls and ceiling. The Supreme Court moved to its own building in 1908 and the chamber now serves as a Senate hearing room.

Portion of ceiling in Room 212, 

Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

It’s a cliché but true here – They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. As it happened in the Jackson capitol, a new design word was learned. ‘Carton Pierre’ - A mixture of glue, whiting, paper-pulp, and chalk; molded, dried, and finished to form durable, usually interior, architectural embellishments imitating stone, metal, etc.; a kind of papier-mâché used for making lightweight cast ornaments where plaster would be too heavy. All the detail you see above was molded before being affixed to the ceiling and finished so gloriously.

House of Representatives Chamber, 

Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

This panoramic image was made by pasting 11 photos together. The House renovation was completed in 2007. The chamber serves 118 members who are elected to two-year terms. The chandeliers are the original fixtures that were converted from gas to electric lights and shortened from six tiers to three.

Detail of Rotunda, Illinois Capitol, Springfield (16 June 2009)

A plaster frieze encircles the dome. Many consider it to be some of the best artwork in the capitol. Painted to resemble bronze, there are nine scenes that depict American and Illinois history from the Revolution to the Lincoln-Douglas debate. Next time I visit, I’ll bring in a cot so I can lie back, not strain my neck and savor this magnificent scene for a few hours.