1917 - Present
When Missouri was granted statehood in 1821, the state’s first legislators sought out a location for a permanent capitol. They settled on a site that would eventually be Jefferson City, chosen for its central location and proximity to the Missouri River. St. Charles served as the seat of government until the new capitol could be constructed.
In 1826, the first Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City was completed on the present site of the Governor’s mansion. This structure was destroyed by a fire in 1837. Another capitol building was built overlooking the Missouri River in 1840. Fire also destroyed this capitol building in 1911 after lightning struck the dome. The present capitol was completed in 1917 and stands upon the same ground as its predecessor.
The capitol is designed in the Roman renaissance style standing on 285 concrete piers covering nearly 3 acres. It is constructed of marble from Carthage and Springfield. The grand staircase leading to the main entrance is one of the capitol’s most notable features, expanding 30 feet and stretching three stories. The dome of the capitol stands 240 feet high and is adorned with a bronze statue of Ceres, goddess of grain and agriculture, to symbolize the state’s agricultural heritage.
Object Details
Categories: Cities & Towns, Politics & Government
Date: 1917 - Present
Subject: Missouri State Capitol (Jefferson City, Mo.)
Contributing Institution: Springfield-Greene County Library
Copy Request: Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the Springfield News-Leader: 651 Booneville, Springfield, Missouri, 65806. (417) 836-1100.
Rights: The photographs in this collection are the property of the Springfield News-Leader, and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. The collection is provided solely for personal noncommercial use. You may not use the photographs within this collection in a manner that constitutes an infringement of the Springfield News-Leader's rights or that has not been authorized by the Springfield News-Leader. More specifically, unless explicitly authorized in these Terms of Service or by the owner of the materials, you may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit, translate, sell, create derivative works, exploit, or distribute in any manner or medium (including by email or other electronic means) any material from the collection. You may, however, from time to time, download and/or print one copy of individual pages of the collection for your personal, non-commercial use, provided that you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. For information about requesting permission to reproduce or distribute materials from the historic photograph collection, please contact the Springfield News-Leader.
County: Cole
Region: Central
Type: Photograph
Latitude: 38.578664
Longitude: -92.173582
Photographer: Ben Divin