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T H E N E B R A S K A S T
A T E C A P I T O L
The Nebraska Capitol in 1930
The Nebraska Capitol
Up to 1930 there have been five buildings
housing the Nebraska Government. Two of these were in the
territorial period and three since statehood. The first Capitol in
Omaha cost $3,000; the second one was also in Omaha and cost
$50,000, half of which was paid by the Federal Government and half
by Omaha.
June 4, 1864, an act removed the Capitol to
Lincoln. The site was chosen July 29, 1867, by a commission
consisting of Governor Butler, Secretary of State T. P. Kennard.
and Auditor John Gillespie. John Morris of Chicago was the
architect, and the $76,817.59 with which the building was
constructed was derived from the sale of Lincoln lots.
T H E N E B R A S K A S T
A T E C A P I T O L
This Capitol was a queer old affair with a
pepper box dome, built of stone hauled from near by and lumber
brought from Iowa. It stood on the highest ground in the city. In
a few years it showed the effects of hasty construction. The Press
of that day quotes observations: "The old Capital resembles a
cross between a modern elevator and an Amsterdam windmill." It's
English designer said it was "Hitalian Renaisiance with a trifle
Greek wigger thrown in."
In 1879 the legislature appropriated $75,000 for
the West Wing of a new building. Wm. H. Wilcox was the architect
and W. H. B. Stout the contractor. This was built with convict
lobar and was finished in 1881. The legislature of 1881
appropriated $100,000 for an East Whig retaining the same
architect and contracter. The central portion was erected as the
cost of $439,187.80. The total cost of this second Capitol
building in Lincoln was $691,428. "it was a chaste sad beautiful
structure of stone, almost pure Grecian in style."
The legislature of 1919 created a commission to
plan and construct a new building, holding a competition among
architects of the country. The plans of Bertram Goodhue wre chosen
June, 1920, and construction began April 15, 1922. Part of this
capitol was completed and occupied in 1925, and the executive
suite and main corridor and rotunda were opened in 1927.
T H E N E B R A S K A S T
A T E C A P I T O L
This beautiful building is a daring departure
from conventional state capitol styles. "It was inspired by
ancient structures of Asia, Greece, Egypt, and Spain, though in
the whole the architect has conceived something which is
essentially American. The base typifies the widespread fertile
plains, and the central tower the aspirations and ideala of its
cities."
Prof. Hartley H. Alexander supplied the
inscriptions and symbols in collaboration with Mr. Goodhue. Lee
Lawrie was the sculptor. Augustus Vincent Tack the painter and
Hildreth Meiere designed the tiles and mosaics. The estimated cost
of building was $9,500,000. In September, 1930, the new Capitol
has not been completed.
T H E N E B R A S K A S T
A T E C A P I T O L
MILLER & PAINE
Lincoln, Nebraska
September, 1930
