A Self Guided Tour of the KENTUCKY STATE CAPITOL. Frankfort, Kentucky

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1 A Self Guided Tour of the KENTUCKY STATE CAPITOL Frankfort, Kentucky

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3 Welcome to Kentucky's Capitol! Your tour begins at the information desk near the front entrance of the building. IF YOU WOULD PREFER A GUIDED TOUR, THE GUIDES AT THE INFORMATION DESK WILL BE GLAD TO PROVIDE ONE. Tours can be scheduled in person or by calling Guided tours are available between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Gray wall-mounted directional signs throughout the building will help you find your way around the Capitol. Floor plans are printed on the back page of this brochure. To begin this self guided tour, step into the rotunda. The Capitol's architect was Frank Mills Andrews. He designed the building in the neoclassical Beaux Arts style. The inspiration for the dome was the one that rises above Napoleon's tomb in the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, France. The apex of the inner dome is 180 feet above you. When new, the interior of the dome was lit by 800 incandescent bulbs. Corrosion in its framework threatened the dome with collapse until repairs were made in The rotunda floor is made of several kinds of marble -- Light ltalio, blue and pink Tennessee, and Verde Antique. The walls are of Georgia marble. Represented by statues in the rotunda are: Abraham Lincoln ~ President of the United States during the Civil War, he was born near Hodgenville, Kentucky, in The Lincoln statue was placed here in Henry Clay ~ A frequent candidate for president, Clay was Kentucky's most celebrated 19th-century statesman. His efforts to avert conflict between the North and South earned him the nickname, "The Great Compromiser." His statue was placed here in Jefferson Davis ~ Born in Fairview, Kentucky, in 1808, Davis was the only president of the Confederate States of America. The Davis statue has been in the rotunda since Ephraim McDowell ~ A pioneer in abdominal and gynecological surgery during the frontier era, McDowell is remembered for a daring 1809 operation in which he successfully removed a large tumor from the abdomen of Jane Todd Crawford. The statue was placed here in Alben Barkley ~ Known as "The Veep," Barkley capped his long political career by serving as vice president of the United States under Harry Truman. Cal1ed "the first working vice-president in U.S. history," Barkley died while concluding a speech in The statue has been here since Through the rotunda is the Office of the Governor of Kentucky. The office of Kentucky' s governors moved here from the second floor in Why is Kentucky called a Commonwealth? In this country, commonwealth is another word for state. The term implies a commitment to the commonweal, or common good of the people. Several states (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, in addition to Kentucky) call themselves commonwealths. Since Kentucky was formed from Virginia, our state s founders decided to use the term too. Capitol vs. Capital. A capitol is a building used as a headquarters of a government. A capitol houses legislative chambers and may also have courtrooms and government offices. A capital is a city that is the seat of government of a state or nation. This building is a capitol. Frankfort is a capital.

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5 Turn left in front of the Governor's office. A few feet ahead and to your left you will see the exhibit of Kentucky First Ladies miniatures. The Executive Branch & Constitutional Officers of Kentucky State Government Originally presented to the Commonwealth in 1971 and regularly updated, this display includes figures representing each hostess in the official residence of Kentucky's governors. The collection is a project of the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs. A booklet with details about Kentucky's first ladies can be obtained at the information desk. Go down the southeast hallway to the east entrance. Here is the bust of Governor A.B. "Happy" Chandler. A popular, controversial, and outspoken Kentucky governor, Chandler won election to that office in 1935 and He also served in the United States Senate and as national commissioner of baseball. Return down the northeast hallway toward the rotunda. Go up the staircase between the cases holding the first ladies' exhibit. (If you prefer, use the elevator beside the Governor's office or near the front entrance. ) From the top of the steps on the second floor, you can get a good view of the nave, or main corridor. The Governor is Kentucky s chief executive officer. The Governor oversees most state agencies and the great majority of state employees. The Office of the Governor occupies much of the first floor and basement of the Capitol. For most the 20th Century, governors could not succeed themselves. Since passage of an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution in 1992, governors can be elected to two fouryear terms. That amendment also removed the duty of presiding over the Senate from the Lieutenant Governor. Other occupants of the lower floors of the Capitol are the Secretary of State and the Attorney General. These are among the Kentucky positions known as the constitutional officers, because the state constitution mandates their election. This spectacular space is over 300 feet long. It is lined with thirty-six huge, one-piece columns made of Vermont granite. These were lifted into place with only muscle-powered machinery. The only engine-powered equipment known to have been used in the building's construction was a steam-driven concrete mixer. The colorful stained glass skylights overhead bring light into the building. The steps bring to mind the grand staircase of the Paris Opera House. From here you can see the murals in the lunettes on either end of the nave. Painted by Gilbert White, the murals depict moments in the early history of Kentucky. The one over the East wing is supposed to show Daniel Boone getting his first view of the Bluegrass region, or "beautiful level of Kentucky," in However, the artist moved the location of this event from a Central Kentucky prominence to the Frankfort site of Boone's grave overlooking the valley where this building now stands. The mural to the West shows Boone and Richard Henderson concluding the Treaty of Watauga in This treaty allowed the Transylvania Company to purchase much of the land that is Kentucky from the Cherokee Indians. On the second floor of the Capitol you will see many paintings. These are portraits of Justices of the Kentucky Supreme Court. Go to the Supreme Court Room which is at the East end of the building. Feel free to enter the room when court is not in session.

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7 With its Honduran mahogany paneling and Dutch metal leafed ceiling lacquered to resemble bronze, the Supreme Court Room is one of the most impressive and dignified spaces in the Capitol. It was originally called the Court of Appeals. The bust at the rear of the chamber is of William S. Pryor, a judge on the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 1871 to The Judicial Branch of Kentucky State Government: The judicial branch of government, responsible for the state court system, occupies most of the second floor of the Capitol. The Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, circuit courts, and district courts make up Kentucky s court system. There are seven justices on the Supreme Court, elected from separate geographic regions. They serve eightyear terms. The justices elect a chief justice from among themselves to serve a fouryear term. The Supreme Court has appellate jurisdiction over all Kentucky courts. It also reviews certain important circuit court cases. The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) provides staff support to the judicial system. Go to the State Reception Room, on the second floor at the center of the North side of the Capitol. Please stay on the carpet runner in this room. Perhaps the most elegant room in the Capitol, the state reception room was intended as a place for special events and as the reception area for the governor's office, which was originally next door to this room. Inspired by grand salons in European palaces, the room was recently restored to its original grandeur. The Circassian walnut furniture is Louis XVI - style and includes a center table covered in Italian marble. The walls are painted in imitation of tapestries. The columns are of Scagliola, an Italian form of imitation marble. The placement of the mirrors on either end of the room creates the illusion of an infinite view, like that in the Hall of Mirrors of the Palace of Versailles in France. A small chapel, press offices, and the office of the Chief Justice (not open for tours} are on the West end of this floor. Take the West steps (or an elevator) to the Senate chamber on the third floor. You may enter the Senate if the chamber is not in use. Scagliola columns line the Senate chamber. Raised galleries allow the public to view the Senate's deliberations during legislative sessions. The wooden trim and furnishings are of mahogany. There are desks for thirty-eight senators, who also have individual offices in the Capitol Annex. Walk to the other end of the building. As you go, you will pass the main office of the Legislative Research Commission (LRC). There is a plaque commemorating the services of former LRC Deputy Director Edith Schwab. A plaque in memory of William Kenton, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1976 to 1981, is near the House chamber. You may enter the House of Representatives if the chamber is not in use. The House of Representatives, like the Senate, has spectator galleries and desks for members. However, with 100 members, the size of the House requires some additional features. Votes are recorded electronically and displayed on panels on either side of the Speaker's desk. Each member of the General Assembly has a desktop computer.

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9 Things to look for: State Seals - Kentucky's state seal features two men shaking hands. The seal illustrates our motto, "United We Stand, Divided We Fall." If you look closely, you will find depictions of the seal throughout the building -- on doorknobs, elevator doors, backs of chairs, and even on restroom-door push plates! 1910 Technology - Several features of the building remain that were "high tech when it was new, but which seem outdated and quaint now. Look for small round brass fixtures in the walls about eight inches from the floor - they are connections to the centralized vacuum-system installed during construction of the building. You may also notice the glass-covered chute that allow letters to be dropped from the building s upper floors into a large brass mailbox near the front entrance. Symbols -Symbols of power and justice decorate the building. Most were taken from classical Greek and Roman architecture. You will find fasces (axes bundled in sticks), eagles, and torches. There are even swastikas - the crooked crosses made infamous by the Nazis. But these swastikas are only a classical decorative motif. They were put here and in many public buildings long before the swastika took on its modern-day, sinister meaning. Return to the second floor by way of the East steps. On the South side of the building is the State Law Library (not open to tours). Go down the West steps to the first floor. At the foot of the steps are several exhibit cases. These cases hold changing displays of interest to Capitol visitors. While state agencies sponsor many of these exhibits, the cases are available to other groups as well. At the West entrance are busts or plaques in honor of these notable Kentuckians: John Sherman Cooper - Once called "the ablest Republican" in the United States Senate, Cooper represented Kentucky in that body for twenty years between 1946 and Harland Sanders -Through the innovative Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise he created, "Colonel" Sanders helped spread the fame of Kentucky all over the world. Thelma Stovall - Her long career of public service included repeated terms as Kentucky secretary of state and State treasurer. In 1975 she became the first woman elected lieutenant governor of Kentucky. Return to the main entrance by way of the Northwest hallway. There you will pass the Kentucky Women Remembered exhibit, which includes portraits of influential Kentucky women. Mounted near the entrance of the building is a commemorative needlepoint tapestry with panels for each of Kentucky's 120 counties. You may want to visit the snack bar, where vending-machine sandwiches, drinks and other items are available. Public telephones are in the basement. TTY equipment may be obtained in the basement office of the building superintendent

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11 The Legislative Branch of Kentucky State Government: Like most states, Kentucky has a bicameral legislature - that is, one with two components. The "lower and larger body is the House of Representatives; the "upper," smaller body is the Senate. The Speaker of the House presides over that chamber, and the President of the Senate chairs deliberations there. Other legislative officials include the House and Senate majority and minority leaders. Together, the House and Senate are known as the Kentucky General Assembly. The General Assembly meets in regular session for sixty working days in even years, and for thirty working days in odd years. Recently, there has been much legislative activity, mainly meetings of committees, between yearly sessions. The governor of Kentucky can call Special sessions to address specific issues, and there have been many special sessions in recent years. The Legislative Research Commission (LRC) provides staff to the General Assembly. Legislative chambers and offices occupy the third floor of the Capitol. Step outside the front entrance of the Capitol for a spectacular view of its surroundings. This is a good place to view the building's exterior and to begin a tour of the Capitol grounds. Work on the Capitol began in The cornerstone, beside the entrance, was set in Dedication ceremonies were in C.M. Fleenor of Bowling Green was the superintendent of construction. The total cost of the building and furnishings was $1,820, a bargain even in The building is almost 403 feet long and 180 feet deep. The exterior base is made of Vermont granite, but most of the exterior is Bedford limestone. Seventy columns surround the building. The covering of the dome is terra cotta, and the top of the lantern is 215 feet above the level of the terrace. The sculpture on the pediment above the entrance was the work of sculptors Charles H. Niehaus and Peter Rossack The central figure represents Kentucky. The attendants are Progress, History, Plenty, Labor, and Art. The animals emphasize agriculture. The figures to the left are tying fasces, symbolizing strength in unity. To the right are Indians, "crouching with fear and watching the approach of civilization," as the building s first custodian described them. The firm of noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead developed a plan for the Capitol grounds, but it is not clear how much of this plan was put into place. The promenade extends northward from the Capitol. This area provides space for demonstrations and public events, including inaugural ceremonies for Kentucky governors. In the flowerbed nearest the building are two time capsules. One commemorated the 1976 United States Bicentennial and will be opened in The other marked the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Capitol in 1985 and is to be opened in seventy-five years. The large evergreen Norway spruce tree to the left is Kentucky's State Christmas Tree. Several features of interest are behind the capitol. The large office building is the Capitol Annex, dedicated in Its design and Bedford limestone exterior mimic the appearance of the Capitol. At the West end of the Annex is the Kentucky Floral Clock. Built in 1961 with financial help from the Garden Clubs of Kentucky, the giant clock is thirty-four feet across. The planter weighs 100 tons. The minute hand, which is 20 1/2 feet long, makes a sudden sweep once every minute. Plantings change with the seasons. At the other end of the Annex is the Rose Garden. Also begun in 1961, the garden has about 500 rosebushes representing some twenty-two varieties of roses.

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13 Several commemorative trees have been planted on the Capitol grounds in honor of distinguished people. Small plaques mark many of these trees: Joe Creason, journalist. Brereton Jones, "Environmental Governor" Charles D. Wickliffe, state employee Linda Bailey, state employee John F. Kennedy, U.S. President Stoney Spicer, Physical Plant Director Kentucky War Mothers Kentucky POWs & MIAs Ellie Carroll, first child born to a First Family residing in the Executive Mansion. Several trees were planted on the grounds in commemoration of Arbor Day during the Wilkinson and Jones administrations. Among them are Kentucky Coffee Trees, the state Heritage Tree. Strict regulations govern the planting of commemorative trees on the Capitol grounds. On the East end of the capitol grounds is the Executive Mansion, home of Kentucky's governors while they are in office. Designed in 1912 by C.C. and B.A. Weber firm of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, the building's exterior resembles Queen Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon villa at Versailles. The formal garden in front of the building was planted as part of an extensive renovation of the mansion and its grounds during the early 1980s. The mansion is open for tours on most Tuesdays and Thursday mornings, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. For more information about the Capitol, the grounds, or the Executive Mansion call the Capitol Tour Desk at GUIDED TOURS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE INFOR- MATION DESK NEAR THE CAPITOL FRONT ENTRANCE. Important Events in the History of Kentucky's Capitol: Kentucky became a state; Frankfort chosen state capital Third statehouse, now known as the Old State Capitol, completed Third Kentucky constitution helped confirm Frankfort as state capital city; pressure to move capital to another city eased Kentucky won a million dollar settlement of claims against the United States government resulting from Civil War and Spanish-American War; General Assembly voted to use this money to build a new Capitol General Assembly approved plan for building; large size required move from Frankfort Public Square to South Frankfort; Old State Capitol spared demolition. Construction began with site clearing work on May Dedication ceremony of Capitol; General Assembly held first session in new building New Executive Mansion opened on site adjacent to the Capitol Steel frame and exterior covering of dome replaced Capitol Annex dedicated Major renovation of Capitol completed; electrical system, climate control, plumbing, and many other features modernized Floral Clock and Rose Garden installed near Annex Parking Structure built between Annex and Kentucky River Extensive cleaning and renovation of Capitol exterior Capitol is the scene of a huge fireworks display in celebration of the bicentennial of Kentucky statehood.

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15 GOVERNOR S OFFICE LT. GOVERNOR S OFFICE At times the Capitol may be under repairs to ensure that it remains a proud symbol of Kentucky. Portions of the building may be closed for tours. Please accept our apology for any inconvenience. Printed with State Funds (KRS ) by the Division of Historic Properties. The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.

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