Wyoming State Capitol
| Wyoming State Capitol | |
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Wyoming State Capitol, seen from front, showing statue of Esther Hobart Morris.
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| General information | |
| Architectural style |
Pseudo-Corinthian |
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Wyoming State Capitol and Grounds
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| Location | 24th St & Capitol Ave, Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Coordinates | 41°8′25″N 104°49′11″W / 41.14028°N 104.81972°WCoordinates: 41°8′25″N 104°49′11″W / 41.14028°N 104.81972°W |
| Built | 1886 |
| Built by | Adam Feick & Bro. (1886-1888); Moses B. Keefe (1888-1890); John W« Howard (1915-1917) |
| Architect | David W. Gibbs and William DuBois |
| Architectural style | Renaissance, Other |
| NRHP Reference # | 73001935 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | January 29, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | May 4, 1987 |
| Town or city | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Country | United States |
| Construction started | 1886 |
| Completed | 1890 |
| Cost | $150,000 |
| Client | State of Wyoming |
| Design and construction | |
| Engineer | Adam Feick & Brothers |
Pseudo-Corinthian
The Wyoming State Capitol is the state capitol and seat of government of the U.S. state of Wyoming. Built between 1886 and 1890, the capitol is located in Cheyenne and contains the chambers of the Wyoming State Legislature and well as the office of the Governor of Wyoming. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark during 1987.
The construction of the capitol began prior to Wyoming gaining statehood. Born in 1867 in the path of the transcontinental railroad, the Union Pacific crews arrived as they laid the tracks westward. Cheyenne soon laid claim to a higher status than older Wyoming settlements such as those at Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger, and the mining town of South Pass City, changing Cheyenne from a village to a city in a matter of months. The seat of the new Territorial government was established in Cheyenne in 1869.
In 1886, the sixth Territorial Legislative Assembly authorized butts of the State Capitol. A five-member commission, appointed by Governor Francis E. Warren, was charged with the selection and purchase of the site, selection of an architect and accepting the lowest bids for construction of the building. The commission chose the firm of David W. Gibbs & Company, Architects, to draw plans and specifications. These were accepted in July 1886 and a contract issued to the lowest bidder, Adam Feick & Brothers, who broke ground on September 9, 1886.
The Tenth Territorial Legislative Assembly convened in the unfinished building. The two small wings on the east and west were completed in 1890. Crowded conditions persisted with the growth of the state and in 1915 the Thirteenth legislature approved the construction of the House and Senate Chambers, which were completed in March 1917.
The 42nd Legislature in 1974 appropriated funds for the first phase of renovation of the capitol and the project was completed in 1980. Work included stripping and staining all woodwork, painting walls in the original designs and colors, replacing wooden floor beams with steel, concrete and modernizing the wiring, heating, plumbing and air conditioning.
The building was designated a National Historic Landmark during 1987.
The capitol is located north of downtown Cheyenne. The exterior approach to the front steps of the capitol features the State Seal in granite as well as two statues. Esther Hobart Morris, who had a significant role in gaining women's suffrage in the Wyoming Territory. The statue was sculpted by Avard Fairbanks. The Act to grant women the right to vote was passed by the First Territorial Assembly and signed by Governor John Allen Campbell on December 10, 1869. Wyoming was thus first government in the world to grant women the right to vote. Morris was also appointed as the first female Justice of the Peace in the territory during 1870. Chief Washakie of the Shoshone tribe. The statue was sculpted by Dave McGary. Chief Washakie earned a reputation that lives on to this day-fierce warrior, skilled politician and diplomat, great leader of the Shoshone people, friend to white men. Washakie granted right-of-way through Shoshone land in western Wyoming to the Union Pacific Railroad, aiding the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The famed leader and warrior died at the age of 102 in 1900. He was buried with full military honors at Fort Washakie. A replica of Esther Hobart Morris and Chief Washakie are in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.
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