View source for Wyoming State Capitol

{{Short description|State capitol building of the U.S. state of Wyoming}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox Historic building
|name=Wyoming State Capitol
|image=DSCN5263 cheyennewyomingcapitolfront e.jpg
|caption=Wyoming State Capitol, seen from rear.
|map_type=
|address=200 W. 24th St., [[Cheyenne, Wyoming]]
|location_country=[[United States]]
|architect=[[David Williams Gibbs]] and [[William DuBois (architect)|William DuBois]]<ref name="nrhpinv2">{{Cite report|url={{NHLS url|id=73001935}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Wyoming State Capitol Building and Grounds |date=February 6, 1987 |author1=Mark Junge |author2=Paige Putnam Miller |author3=Edwin C. Bearss |name-list-style=amp |publisher=National Park Service}} and {{NHLS url|id=73001935|title=''accompanying three historic photos''|photos=y}}&nbsp;{{small|(351&nbsp;KB)}}</ref>
|client=State of Wyoming
|engineer=[[Adam Feick & Bro.]]; Moses B. Keefe; John W. Howard<ref name=nrhpinv2 />
|construction_start_date= {{start date and age|1886}}
|completion_date= {{start date and age|1890}}
|date_demolished=
|cost=$150,000
|structural_system=
|style=Renaissance Revival
| coordinates = {{coord|41|8|25|N|104|49|11|W|display=inline,title}}
| embedded = {{Infobox NRHP
 | name = Wyoming State Capitol and Grounds
 | embed = yes
 | nrhp_type = nhl
 | area = {{convert|4|acre|ha}}
 | designated_nrhp_type = May 4, 1987<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1393&ResourceType=Building|title=Wyoming State Capitol|access-date=June 27, 2008|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626051255/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceID=1393&resourceType=Building|archive-date=June 26, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 | added = January 29, 1973<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref>
 | refnum = 73001935
 }}
}}

The '''Wyoming State Capitol''' is located in the city of [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]]. Cheyenne is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Wyoming, also hosting the workspace for the governor, [[Mark Gordon]], and his staff. Built between 1886 and 1890, the capitol is located in [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]] and contains the chambers of the [[Wyoming State Legislature]] as well as the office of the [[Governor of Wyoming]]. It was designated a U.S. [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1987.<ref name=nrhpinv2/><ref>As "Wyoming State Capitol and Grounds" or alternate name "Wyoming Capitol Building and Grounds", the property was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places during 1973. It was further designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] during 1987.</ref> The Capitol underwent an extensive three-year renovation and reopened to the public on July 10, 2019.<ref name=paintings>{{Cite news|id={{ProQuest|2270028274}}|title=Paintings on historic vaults uncovered at Wyoming State Capitol|last=EverGreene Architectural Arts Inc|date=Jun 26, 2019|work=Wyoming Tribune - Eagle; Cheyenne, Wyo.}}</ref>

==History==
The construction of the capitol began prior to Wyoming gaining statehood. Cheyenne was born in 1867 in the path of the transcontinental railroad, when the Union Pacific crews arrived to lay 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 Ninth Territorial Legislative Assembly authorized construction 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 Williams Gibbs|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 & Brother]], 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.

In 2013, the Wyoming State Legislature created a task force to examine potential renovations to the building. The Legislature authorized the renovation project in 2014 with work on the Capitol, the Herschler Building, the utility plant and the tunnels to be completed as a unified project with a budget of $299 million. The project was completed in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wyomingcapitolsquare.com/|title=Home|website=Wyoming Capitol Square Project|language=en-US|access-date=October 9, 2018}}</ref>

The building was designated a [[National Historic Landmark]] in 1987, for its role in Wyoming's history, including specifically the role it played in hosting conventions that ensured woman's suffrage in the state constitution.<ref name="nrhpinv2"/>

==Description==
{{more citations needed|section|date=January 2020}}
[[File:Wyoming Capitol Exterior.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb|The facade as it was extended during 1915 with the House and Senate chambers in the end pavilions]]

The capitol is located north of downtown [[Cheyenne, Wyoming|Cheyenne]]. The exterior approach to the front steps of the capitol features the State Seal in granite.

The architecture of the building is Renaissance Revival, reminiscent of the [[United States Capitol]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] The sandstone for the building came from quarries in [[Rawlins, Wyoming]], and [[Fort Collins, Colorado]]. The building's cornerstone was laid on May 18, 1887, with maps, a roster of territorial officers, and other papers inside. During the Centennial of the Capitol in 1987; the cornerstone was removed, these documents were replaced and the cornerstone reset.

While standing in the center of the rotunda, looking up at the base of the dome directly overhead you see the stained glass, imported from [[England]]. From underneath it sparkles with blue, purple, and green hues, but the upper side glistens with red, yellow, and orange. The peak of the dome is 146 feet high, and the base is 50 feet in diameter.

The first-floor rotunda is striking, with checkerboard marble floors, columns, and an impressive staircase made of cherry wood brought from [[Ohio]].

The Governor is the only elected official with offices in the capitol building. The four other elected officials have ceremonial offices only.

The Senate chamber is in the west wing of the second-floor building; the House chamber is in the east wing of the second floor. Each chamber contains four large [[mural]]s by [[Allen Tupper True]], who painted them in August 1917 for a cost of $500 each. The murals depict various aspects of the culture, history, and industry of Wyoming. The murals in the Senate chamber are entitled ''Indian Chief [[Cheyenne]]'', ''Frontier Cavalry Officer'', ''[[Pony Express]] Rider'', and ''Railroad Builders/Surveyors''. The House murals are entitled ''Cattlemen'', ''Trappers'', ''Homesteaders'', and ''Stagecoach''. The ceilings of both chambers are inlaid with stained glass from the Midland Paint and Glass Company of Omaha, NE, with the [[Wyoming State Seal]] displayed in the center. Both chambers are accessible to visitors by balconies on the third floor. The House has two oil paintings by William Gollings. The wood in both chambers is [[oak]].

== Renovation ==
The Wyoming State Capitol went through a major restoration between 2016 and 2019. Many improvements were made during this time. Some of the improvements included: the addition of stairs, elevators, and restrooms; the restoration of decorative paintings and moldings; and the improvement of the electrical and HVAC systems. During the restoration phase, there were several discoveries of paintings, decorated architectural elements, and woodwork that were all carefully restored.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/history-wyoming-capitol|title=A History of the Wyoming Capitol|last=[Linda Graves Fabian], [StarleyTalbott]|date=June 4, 2019|website=WyoHistory.org|access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref> Another major part of the restoration project was to gain back some of the visibility of the dome on the building. To be able to view the dome from North Capitol Avenue, a large atrium on an adjacent building was demolished.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&id=GALE%7CA470053682&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon|title=Wyoming Raises Capital to Restore Capitol|date=Nov 12, 2016|website=GALE GENERAL ONEFILE|access-date=November 30, 2019}}</ref>

=== The Dome ===
The dome is one of the key architectural features of the Capitol building. It stands out above the skyline, representing Wyoming's values.<ref name=":2" /> The Dome of the capitol is copper and it tarnished so badly in 1900 they began using gold leaf on the exterior of the dome. The 24-carat gold leaf dome is visible from all roads entering the city. It has been gilded five times, the first in 1900.  Only ten out of the fifty United States have gold leaf covered domes on their state capitol buildings. In 2009, the dome was re-covered in gold for $1.3 million.  During the restoration process that took place between 2016 and 2019, scaffolding was used to cover the dome until the work on it was complete. The interior dome structure is covered in the signatures of the workers who built the dome. Others have added their signatures over the years up to the present day. Thanks to this restoration work, the dome's life expectancy went from a mere 15 years to 90 years.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Wyoming state Capitol dome to undergo repairs|date=Sep 9, 2017|work=AP English Language News|id={{ProQuest|1936914447}}}}</ref>

=== The Vaults ===
On the Garden Level of the Capitol, there sit six vaults that were covered in layers of paint. During the restoration, this paint was carefully removed, to reveal unique paintings hiding beneath, one for each vault door. These vaults were found to have been made by Mosler Safe and Lock Company, which was a well-distinguished safe company at the time. This company was originally called Mosler, Bahmann and Company and was located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mosler's sons would later take over the business and move it to Hamilton, Ohio, where it would be run under the name Mosler Safe and Lock Company.<ref name=paintings/>

==Gallery==
<gallery class="center">
WY capitol night.jpg|Front of the Capitol
WY capitol night2.jpg|Rear/west side of the Capitol
Wyoming State Capitol west facade.JPG|West entrance of the Capitol
Cheyenne capitol inside1.jpg|House Chambers
DSCN5274 wyomingcapitolinterior e.jpg|View of the first floor, showing Corinthian design in column.
WyomingStateCapDomeCeiling.jpg|Interior Dome
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of Wyoming state legislatures]]
*[[List of state and territorial capitols in the United States]]
*[[List of National Historic Landmarks in Wyoming]]
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Laramie County, Wyoming]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130823164101/https://sites.google.com/a/wyo.gov/capitol-page/ Wyoming State Capitol: Official Site] 0.
* [http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/NationalRegister/Site.aspx?ID=257 Wyoming State Capitol Building and Grounds National Historic Landmark] at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
* [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.wy0019 State Capitol Building, Twenty-fourth Street & Capitol Avenue, Cheyenne, Laramie, WY] at the [[Historic American Buildings Survey]] (HABS)
* [https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/history-wyoming-capitol WyoHistory.org (A Project of the Wyoming State Historical Society)]

{{Wyoming}}
{{US State Capitols}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government buildings in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Government of Wyoming]]
[[Category:State capitols in the United States]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1890]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cheyenne, Wyoming]]
[[Category:Museums in Cheyenne, Wyoming]]
[[Category:History museums in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Cheyenne, Wyoming]]
[[Category:Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in Wyoming]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Cheyenne, Wyoming]]