Albany, New York

We wrapped up our New England tour at the end of August and headed into New York for our visit first to Albany (then later to New York City). Albany is our 48th capitol visit, leaving only Mississippi and Alabama to finally be able to say we've visited all the capitols in the United States. Because so many of the capitols are alike, with the same style domes, marble floors and staircases, similar architectural styles, and layout, we were pleased to find the capitol building in Albany quite unlike any we'd seen before. And no wonder! Designed by five different architects, the capitol features an eclectic blend of Gothic Revival, Romanesque, and Moorish influences. Construction was completed in 1899 at a cost of $25 million (which translates to more than half a billion dollars today) with much of the interior (especially the staircases) showcasing works of art in their own right. The staircase near the western entrance is famous for the delicate faces carved in sandstone. It took more than 12 years and hundreds of stonecutters to complete, and legend has it that some stone cutters carved the likenesses of friends and family alongside the 77 more famous faces (such as Washington, Lincoln, Grant, and Susan B. Anthony). Speaking of legends, there have also been reports that the building is haunted, most notably with the ghost of Samuel Abbot, a night watchman who died in a 1911 fire, and another of a local fruit vendor who committed suicide in 1890 by jumping off one of the staircases to the Senate chamber below. We didn't see any ghosts during our visit, but with the dimly lit interior and Gothic feel to the building, I'm not surprised there are stories of hauntings. We did, however, enjoy our tour and consider this capitol quite unique. 

Boston, Massachusetts

We have been so busy the past few weeks that keeping up with the travel blog has slipped further and further down my list of priorities. Before I even got the chance to finish up my Boston entries, we were off to New York City. We have now finished our New England and New York visitations (for this time around, at least), and I finally find myself in a short reprieve from this whirlwind of activity, resting up in a pretty RV Park in Ashland, Virginia.
 
But back to Boston - one of the many places to visit here is the state Capitol, our 47th! Built in 1798 on land once owned by John Hancock (Massachusetts's first elected governor), and located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, the Boston State House is filled with grand sweeping staircases, marble floors and columns, stained glass windows, and intricately designed wrought iron railings called "black lace". The dome, originally made from wood shingles, is now sheathed in copper and covered by 23 karat gold.

 Some fun facts about Boston: The official state dessert is Boston cream pie; the first subway system in the U.S. was built in Boston (not NYC); the first public park in America was the Boston Common; the official state dog is the Boston Terrier.

 

Hartford, Connecticut

Our next Capitol visit in the New England states was to Hartford, Connecticut. When I first saw the building I wasn't sure if I was looking at a church or a capitol, which isn't surprising when you find out the designer, Richard M. Upjohn, was also a cathedral architect. This High Victorian Gothic style state house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971. The Capitol Dome is twelve-sided and is accented with twelve stained glass windows topped by pointed arches. The gold leaf that covers the dome is 3/1000 of an inch thick. From ground level to the top of the dome is roughly 257 feet. The inside of the building is no less impressive than the outside with beautifully designed staircases, ornate ceiling fixtures, stained glass windows, and decorative corridors winding throughout populated with statuaries of many of the important figures in Connecticut's history. I especially loved the statue called The Genius of Connecticut, the original plaster model of an angel that once stood atop the dome itself. After being damaged in a hurricane in 1938, people feared the angel would fall to the ground, so she was removed and placed in the basement until 1942, at which time she was melted down as part of the war effort to make ammunition and machine parts. This restored plaster model that now makes her home in the north lobby of the Capitol is still quite spectacular. She stands 17 feet 10 inches tall. In her right hand is a wreath of immortalis, or dried flowers to symbolize long life. In her left hand is a wreath of Mountain Laurel, the state flower. On her head she wears white oak leaves for strength from the state tree, and her outstretched wings are to protect the people of Connecticut. Couldn't we all use such benevolent protection in our lives?

 

Providence, Rhode Island

Rhode Island is the tiniest state in the country. It measures only 37 miles wide by 48 miles long, but it actually has the longest name of all the states, officially known as the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It is so tiny, that if the USA were divided into states this size, we would have 3,874 states in this country. Their motto is "Hope", which happens to be the shortest motto of all the states. But a visit to their State House in Providence proves that even a small state can be mighty. Over 327,000 cubic feet of white Georgia marble, 15 million bricks, and 1309 tons of iron floor beams sit beneath the State House dome, the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world (after St. Peter's Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal). Atop the dome is a gold-covered bronze statue of the Independent Man (originally named "Hope"), which represents freedom and independence, alluding to the spirit which led Roger Williams to settle and establish Providence and later Rhode Island. I really enjoyed touring the Royal Charter Museum which contains many priceless documents and artifacts that represent Rhode Island's important place in history. The centerpiece of the Museum, the Royal Charter of 1663 granted by King Charles II of England, resides in a custom steel vault for visitors to see. The Charter guaranteed Rhode Island settlers freedom of religion and the freedom to govern their own colony. I am especially drawn to the quotation from the charter, "To hold forth a lively experiment that a most flourishing civil state may stand and best be maintained with full liberty in religious concernments." What an exciting adventure this must have been for the progressive thinking people of the times. We could all take a step back and remember these lessons in freedom of religion, which also includes the freedom from religion. Overall, I found the golden hues of the capitol décor warm and inviting. We found comfortable nooks filled with cozy chairs, fireplaces laid with wood, and rocking chairs out on a deck overlooking downtown Providence. The State House library was one of the loveliest I've seen, a beautifully decorated three-tiered room with an ornate coved ceiling. Here are some pictures from our tour.