| Oklahoma State Capitol | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
 The Oklahoma State Capitol
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| Location: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates: | 35°29′32.21″N 97°30′12.14″W / 35.4922806°N 97.5033722°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1919 |
| Architect: | Frankfurt-Short-Bruza |
| Architectural style(s): | Renaissance, Classical Revival |
| Governing body: | State of Oklahoma |
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| Added to NRHP: | 1976 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 76001572[1] |
The Oklahoma State Capitol building, located in Oklahoma City, is the seat of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma, the location of the chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature and serves as the meeting place of the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
The state capitol campus is famous for oil wells being located there and remains today as the only state capitol grounds in the United States with active oil rigs.[2] The capitol building sits directly on top of the Oklahoma City Oil Field. These unique features, along with the historic nature of the building draw tourists from around the state each year.
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History
The First Capitol
Oklahoma's first capitol was originally located in the city of Guthrie, now a northern suburb of Oklahoma City. At noon on April 22, 1889 cannons sounded the start of the Oklahoma land run. In only six hours about 10,000 people had settled in what would soon become the capitol of Oklahoma Territory. Within only months Guthrie became a modern brick and stone "Queen of the Prairie" with municipal water, electricity, a mass transit system and underground parking garages for horses and carriages.
Without the protection of the federal government, Oklahoma's newly established government became part of political battle on where the capitol should be located. In the middle of the night, on June 11, 1910, the state seal was taken from Guthrie and moved south to Oklahoma City, the present site of the state capitol.[3]
The Second Capitol
The relocated capitol was originally slated to be built in the Warr Acres suburb far from downtown Oklahoma City.[4] The proposal called for the capitol building to front NW 39th Street. However, after three years of consideration, support moved to build the capitol at its present Oklahoma City site approximately two miles from downtown's central business district.
The Manhattan Construction Company began construction of the relocated Capitol Building on July 20, 1914 under the direction of Governor Lee Cruce. It was delivered to the state on July 1, 1917 though it wasn't finished until 1919. The completed building had over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m2) in six floors.
Crowning the Capitol
The original plans called for the relocated capitol building to feature a dome (similar to most state capitols); however, budget constraints at the time and a shortage of building materials due to World War I prevented construction on the dome. Constructing the dome was revived in the 1990s following a feasibility study and completion was the target of a 2007 Oklahoma Centennial projects master plan.
In July 2000, Governor Frank Keating announced that a dome would be constructed to complete the capitol building at a cost of $21 million. The dome would stand 255 feet (78 m) high with a 17-foot (5.2 m) tall bronze Native American statue on top of the dome, in honor of Oklahoma's Native American heritage.
Master artist Enoch Kelly Haney (formerly an Oklahoma State Senator and later chief of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) created "The Guardian" statue that stands on top of the dome designed by Frankfurt-Short-Bruza. Manhattan Construction Company and Flintco, Inc. worked together to build the dome to historical specifications.
A dome raising ceremony was held June 20, 2001, and construction began in August 2001. It was completed and dedicated on Oklahoma's Statehood Day, November 16, 2002.[5]
Capitol Complex
The state capitol building combined with the surrounding government buildings, non-government agencies, museums, libraries, and tree lined streets and boulevards forms the Oklahoma State Capitol Complex[6] or Capitol Campus. The neighborhood is centered at N. Lincoln Blvd and E. 23rd Street and contains the State Capitol Park, the governor's mansion, restaurants, bars, and many other attractions.
The Capitol Campus should not be confused with the Capitol Hill neighborhood, located on Oklahoma City's south side.
External links
See also
References
- ^ "National Register of Historical Places - Oklahoma (OK), Oklahoma County". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-12-04. http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/ok/Oklahoma/state2.html.
- ^ "State Capitol". Oklahoma County. http://www.oklahomacounty.org/district2/StateCapitol.asp. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
- ^ "History of Guthrie". Guthrie Oklahoma. Guthrie Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce. 2007-12-04. http://www.guthrieok.com/history.html.
- ^ "Warr Acres". The Northwest Chamber. The Northwest Chamber. 2006. http://www.thenorthwestchamber.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NWChamber&Category_Code=OurArea-WarrAcres. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
- ^ "Oklahoma State Capitol Dome". http://www.oklahomadome.com/. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
- ^ "Oklahoma State Capitol Complex Map". Oklahoma Department of Transportation. http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/cmplxmap/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-22.
| Preceded by Utah |
List of U.S. states by date of statehood Admitted on November 16, 1907 (46th) |
Succeeded by New Mexico |
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