The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Tennessee. It serves as the home of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly – the House of Representatives and the Senate – and contains the governor's office. It was designed by architect William Strickland of Philadelphia, who considered it his greatest achievement. The statehouse was built between 1845 and 1859 by skilled artisans and convict and slave labor. It is one of Nashville's most prominent examples of Greek Revival architecture, and is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States, having been used continuously since 1853. It was constructed predominantly of limestone quarried nearby, and was one of the first buildings in the United States to use iron as a structural element. One of 11 state capitols that does not have a dome, it was the tallest building in the Southeastern United States when completed. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1971. The basement and the ground floor of the Tennessee State Capitol are primarily office space; the original Tennessee Supreme Court chamber was on the ground floor. The second (principal) floor contains the house and senate chambers and a room that originally housed the Tennessee State Library and Archives. The tower consists of a pedestal topped by a circular cupola modeled on the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates. During the American Civil War, the building served as a camp for Union troops, a hospital, and a lookout. The capitol grounds were landscaped from 1871 to 1877. The building was extensively restored in the 1950s, when much of the exterior limestone was replaced with Indiana limestone. Additional interior renovations restored parts of the building to its mid-19th-century appearance. The Tennessee State Capitol is located atop a prominent hill on the highest point in downtown Nashville. It is adorned by numerous monuments, memorials, and pieces of artwork, and the surrounding grounds are extensively landscaped with green spaces and a terraced east garden. Strickland, who died before the capitol was completed; and Samuel Morgan, who oversaw the commission that supervised construction; are entombed within the building's walls. The tombs of James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States, and his wife Sarah Childress Polk are on the grounds. The Tennessee Supreme Court Building and original state library building are adjacent to the west side of the building, and additional state office buildings surround the capitol on the east, south, and west. Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, considered an extension of the grounds, is directly north of the building.
Description The Tennessee State Capitol is overseen by the State Capitol Commission, which governs maintenance policies and historical preservation, and approves modifications. This agency is under the jurisdiction of the Office of the State Architect, and consists of seven members appointed by the governor and speakers of the house and senate; and seven ex officio members from the governor's cabinet. The State of Tennessee Real Estate Asset Management division of the Tennessee Department of General Services handles regular maintenance and upkeep.
Location and grounds
The Tennessee State Capitol is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States, having been used continuously by the Tennessee General Assembly since 1853. It sits atop Capitol Hill, the highest point in Downtown Nashville. This hill rises approximately 200 feet (61 m) above the nearby Cumberland River. In 1854, capitol porter George Dardis compared the structure's placement to that of the ancient city of Rome on seven hills, the Acropolis of Athens, and Capo Colonna. The grounds are bounded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the south; a horseshoe-shaped road that is part of 6th Avenue on the east and Lamar Alexander Way on the west envelops the rest of the grounds. The Tennessee Supreme Court building for the Middle Tennessee division and old state library building are located on the west side of the grounds. Another road that is part of 7th Avenue runs between the building's west side and the court and archives buildings, and loops around the north side to connect to parking encircling the building. The capitol complex is surrounded on the west, south, and east by several state office buildings. Directly south of the capitol is Legislative Plaza, a public plaza. The Nashville District Energy System provides heating and cooling to the capitol and other nearby buildings.
The capitol grounds are an extensively landscaped green space with cedar, magnolia, maple, and hickory trees. Next to each of the building's corners is a circular bed with herbaceous flowers arranged in the tri-star emblem of the Tennessee Flag. North of the capitol is a steep grassy slope that is bisected by the loop road. The Belvedere, an overlook, is situated approximately midway down this slope and provides views to the north. James Robertson Parkway separates the north grounds from Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, a large public park that traces the state's history and geographic features. This park is considered an extension of the grounds. The east garden, also called the Jackson Garden, consists of a terraced slope that includes a rectangular plaza with circular fountains on each end. A wide staircase connects this plaza to 6th Avenue, which is accessed by another wide staircase to the capitol's east entrance, considered the main entrance. The Motlow Tunnel connects Charlotte Avenue to the capitol's basement and elevators. The tunnel entrance is surrounded by two narrow staircases, which broaden into a single wider staircase above the tunnel that ascends to the north entrance. Other smaller staircases are on the northeast, southeast, and southwest corners of the grounds. The capitol building is decoratively illuminated at night, and is frequently lit with colors chosen to match seasonal events, holidays, and special events. Guided tours of the building and grounds are provided by Tennessee State Museum staff.
Structure and architecture
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