Kansas State Capitol
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Kansas State Capitol
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The Statehouse as of 2015
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| Location | Bound by 8th and 10th Aves. and Jackson and Harrison Sts., Topeka, Kansas |
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| Coordinates | 39°02′53″N 95°40′41″W / 39.04806°N 95.67806°WCoordinates: 39°02′53″N 95°40′41″W / 39.04806°N 95.67806°W |
| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| Built | 1866 |
| Architectural style | Other, French Renaissance |
| NRHP Reference # | 71000330 |
| Added to NRHP | September 3, 1971 |
The Kansas State Capitol, known also as the Kansas Statehouse, is the building housing the executive and legislative branches of government for the U.S. state of Kansas. It is located in the city of Topeka, which has served as the capital of Kansas since it became a state in 1861. It is the second building to serve as the Kansas Capitol.
The dome, at 304 ft (93 m), is taller than the 288 ft (88 m) United States Capitol dome, although its diameter (50 ft (15 m)) is approximately half that of the national capitol (96 ft (29 m)). It is one of the few capitols in the United States that continues to offer tours that go to the top of the dome. Visitors enter the dome by climbing 296 steps leading from the fifth floor to the top.
The land for Capitol Square was donated by Cyrus K. Holliday via his Topeka Town Company in 1862. The master architect was Edward Townsend Mix with the wings designed by John G. Haskell. Construction on the East Wing began in 1866, using "native" limestone from Geary County, Kansas. Construction began on the West Wing in 1879 using limestone from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas and in 1881, the legislature authorized and appropriated funds for the construction of a central building to link the two wings. Construction of this central building began in 1886, and the contract for dome construction was let in May, 1889.
The building was declared officially complete in 1903, after 37 years of construction.
It was not until 1988 that a design for a sculpture to stand atop the dome was finally approved. Ad Astra, a 22 2⁄12-foot (6.756 m) bronze sculpture weighing 4,420 pounds (2,000 kg), was installed atop the dome on October 10, 2002. The sculpture, by Richard Bergen, depicts a Kansa Native American with bow and arrow pointed at the North Star and was chosen from 27 entries to adorn the dome. The title Ad Astra is Latin shortening of the state motto Ad Astra Per Aspera To the stars through difficulty.
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