Utah State Capitol

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Utah State Capitol Utah State Capitol 2008.
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location:	Salt Lake City, Utah
Built/Founded:	1916 Renovated 2004-2008
Architect:	Richard K.A. Kletting
Governing body:	State

The Utah State Capitol is located on Capitol Hill, overlooking downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the home of the Utah State Legislature, the Governor of Utah, Lieutenant Governor of Utah, the Utah Attorney General, the Utah State Treasurer, and the Utah State Auditor.

Construction on the capitol began on December 26, 1912 and was dedicated on October 9, 1916. The building is 404 feet (123 m) long, 240 feet (73 m) wide, and is capped by a dome that reaches 286 feet (87 m). The granite used was quarried in Little Cottonwood Canyon, and the dome is covered in copper mined in Utah.^[1] The original construction cost was $2,739,538.00. In 2004 the capitol closed for an extensive restoration and seismic upgrade. The capitol was rededicated on January 4, 2008, and was opened to the public the next day.

The building is the centerpiece of a 40 acre plot which also includes a Vietnam War memorial and a monument dedicated to the Mormon Battalion. The renovations added a new plaza, a reflecting pool, and two office buildings, as well as underground parking.^[2] The grounds feature plants, shrubs, and trees native to Utah, as well as stunning views of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front.

The interior has three floors plus a former basement level which now hold base isolators meant to make the building more resistant to earthquakes. The captiol is decorated with many paintings and sculptues of Utah's history and heritage, including statues of Brigham Young, first territorial governor, and Philo T. Farnsworth, Utah native and inventor of television. The floors are made of marble from Georgia. Twenty-four Ionic columns line the central hall connecting the two wings on either side of the dome, each of which weighs about 25,000 lb.^[3] A chandelier weighing 6,000 lb hangs from the rotunda of the central dome. The chain supporting it weighs an additional 7,000 lb.

Utah Territorial Statehouse in Filmore was the territory's first capitol building, although it was only used for that purpose for one year. Starting in 1866 the Salt Lake City Council Hall was the meeting place for the Utah Territorial legislature. When statehood was granted in 1896 until the present Utah State Capitol was completed, the Salt Lake City and County Building served as the state's first capitol building.

[edit] In film

In Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde the Utah State Capitol was used for exterior and interior shots of the U.S. Capitol.

[edit] Gallery

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Utah State Capitol

Utah State Capitol in 2002	Inside the Utah State Capitol in 2002	Utah State Capitol at night.	The interior of the rotunda dome.
Rotunda dome interior with chandelier.	The Gold Room is the Governor's official reception room.	Utah House of Representatives Chamber.	Utah State Senate Chamber.
Mural of Fathers Dominguez and Escalante exploring the Utah Valley.	Mural of the Mormon Pioneers.	Utah State Seal in the carpet of the Governor's Office.	Utah Supreme Court Chambers. They are used at the Utah State Capitol for ceremonial purposes only.
Chandelier hanging from Rotunda dome.	Utah State Capitol Mall looking west.	Utah State Capitol Mall looking east.	Video of panorama view from the steps of the Capitol.
The Capitol seen from the south, with State Street.