Minnesota State Capitol
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Minnesota State Capitol
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| Location | Aurora Between Cedar and Park Streets Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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| Coordinates | 44°57′19″N 93°6′8″W / 44.95528°N 93.10222°WCoordinates: 44°57′19″N 93°6′8″W / 44.95528°N 93.10222°W |
| Built | 1905 |
| Architect | Cass Gilbert |
| Architectural style | Italian Renaissance; Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP Reference # | 72000681 |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 1972 |
The Minnesota State Capitol is located in the United States of Minnesota's capital, Saint Paul, and houses the Minnesota Senate, Minnesota House of Representatives, the office of the Attorney General and the office of the Governor. The building also includes a chamber for the Minnesota Supreme Court, although court activities usually take place in the neighboring Minnesota Judicial Center.
The building is set in a landscaped campus. Various monuments are to its sides and front. Behind, a bridge spans University Avenue, and in front others were later added over the sunken roadway of Interstate 94, thus preserving the sight lines. Set near the crest of a hill, from the Capitol steps a panoramic view of downtown Saint Paul is presented.
The building was built by Butler-Ryan Construction and designed by Cass Gilbert and modeled after Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome - the unsupported marble dome is the second largest in the world, after Saint Peter's. However, like all capitols with domes in the US it is also inspired by the idea of domed capitols originating with the United States Capitol dome. Work began on the capitol in 1896, and construction was completed in 1905. It is the third building to serve this purpose: the first capitol was destroyed by fire in 1881, and the second was completed in 1883, but was considered to be too small almost immediately.
Above the southern entrance to the building is a gilded quadriga called The Progress of the State which was sculpted by Daniel Chester French and Edward Clark Potter. It was completed and raised to the roof of the capitol in 1906. The four horses represent the power of nature: earth, wind, fire and water. The women leading the horses symbolize civilization, and the man on the chariot represents prosperity. In 1994 and 1995, the statues underwent a restoration procedure which included replacing the gold leaf on the figures. A sphere perched above the capitol dome also has similar treatment.
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