The Oregon State Capitol is the building that houses the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. Built from 1936 to 1938 and expanded in 1977, it is the third building to house the Oregon state government in Salem, the state capital. Fires destroyed earlier capitols in 1855 and 1935.
Its Art Deco stripped classical design and its largely marble interior and exterior were conceived by New York architects Trowbridge & Livingston with Francis Keally. The central portion of the building, including a cupola of , was erected at a cost of $2.5 million—partially financed by the federal government's Depression-era Public Works Administration.
The wings, which doubled the floor space of the building to about , were added later for $12.5 million. The grounds outside the capitol building contain artwork, fountains, and flora, including the state tree (Douglas fir) and state flower (Oregon grape). The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1988.
History The first capital of the region was Oregon City, designated by Oregon Country provisional government through legislation on June 27, 1844, and December 19, 1845. J. Quinn Thornton described an early capitol building as 20 by 40 feet with a platform at one end for the president.
Two years after the creation of the Oregon Territory in 1848, Governor Joseph Lane affirmed Oregon City's status as capital by proclamation, and John L. Morrison built one of the private buildings used by the territorial government.
In 1850, the legislature passed an act designating Salem the capital. Governor John P. Gaines refused to move because the act put the university in Corvallis and the penitentiary in Portland, and he declared the act unconstitutional because the governor had the authority to locate those institutions. The Territorial Supreme Court concurred, but while the governor and most of the Supreme Court remained in Oregon City, Justice Orville C. Pratt, who had dissented, moved to Salem. On May 14, 1852, an act of the United States Congress settled the matter in Salem's favor.
But on January 13, 1855, the Oregon Territorial Legislature passed a bill moving the seat of government to yet another town: Corvallis. Governor George Law Curry and others objected because public buildings in Salem were already under construction. Curry sent the matter to U.S. Treasury Secretary James Guthrie, who declared the move invalid unless acted on by Congress. Curry and Oregon Secretary of State Benjamin Harding moved back to Salem.
On December 3, 1855, the legislature convened in Corvallis and 12 days later passed legislation to move the capital back to Salem. On December 18, the legislature re-convened in Salem. But after the statehouse burned down on December 29, the legislature re-opened debate about where to seat the capital. They decided to ask the people of the territory to vote on the question. In June 1856, a vote set up a runoff—initially between Eugene and Corvallis, but after some ballots were invalidated because they were not cast in accordance with the law, between Eugene and Salem. In the October runoff, Eugene received more votes, but the earlier vote-tossing led to turnout so low that the election results were ignored, and the capital remained in Salem.
New referendums were held in 1860 and 1862, but no city received the 50 percent minimum required by law. Finally, Salem received 79 percent the vote in an 1864 election and was declared the state capital. Article XIV of the Oregon Constitution lists the seat of state government as Marion County, of which Salem is the seat.
First capitol (1855)
Construction of the first capitol building began in 1854, two years after Congress confirmed Salem as the capital city. The land was designated block 84, purchased by the territorial government for this purpose from pioneer and Salem founder W. H. Willson. Construction was temporarily halted after the legislation to move the capital to Corvallis was passed in January 1855, but resumed later in the year as the legislature returned to Salem.
The capitol was designed by Captain Charles Bennett, who participated in the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848, and construction supervised by William H. Richter at a total cost of $25,000.
The Greek Revival building stood wide and long (15 by 23 m), with a stone facade and a 10-foot (3 m) portico. Built of native ashlar blocks, the two-story exterior walls ranged in color from a deep sky blue to white. The first floor was tall; the second, tall with an eight-foot (2.4 m) entablature. The building was decorated with four Ionic columns on the front (west) end. The building's rooms included a federal courthouse with a chamber measuring 20 by 27 feet (6 by 8 m) and an executive office of 18 by 20 ft (5.5 by 6 m) on the first floor. Also on the first floor was the House chamber, 36 by 46 feet (11 by 14 m) with three entrances. The first floor also held the main hall, which included an entrance wide. On the second floor was the Senate chamber, 26 by 36 feet (8 by 11 m). The Territorial Library was housed in a room that was 20 by 36 feet (6 by 11 m). The second story had a gallery viewing area for the House, three committee rooms, and several rooms for government clerks.
Fire On the evening of December 29, 1855, a fire destroyed the first capitol building and many of the territory's public records. The fire, which started in the unfinished and unoccupied northeast corner of the structure, was not discovered until around 12:30 am. Arson was suspected, but no one was arrested.
The burned-out capitol building remained a pile of stones for several years. A downtown building, Nesmith's Building (later named the Holman Building), served as a temporary capitol from 1859 until 1876. The legislature met on the second and third floors of that building, which also housed the other state offices.
Second capitol (1876–1935)
Plans for a new capitol on the site began to take shape in 1872 when the state legislature appropriated $100,000 ($ as of ) for it. The design, by architects Justus F. Krumbein and W.G. Gilbert, was a two-story structure with an additional first level that was partly underground. The cornerstone for the building was laid on October 5, 1873, during a ceremony that included a speech by Governor Stephen F. Chadwick and the music of several bands. Built of stone and five million bricks, the building was completed in 1876, partly by convicts from the Oregon State Penitentiary. The total cost was $325,000 ($ as of ).
Oregon's new capitol measured 275 by 136 feet (84 by 41 m) with a dome of . The Umpqua region provided the sandstone used in the ground-level base. The structure had a square rotunda on the interior that was tall. Also inside was a Senate chamber measuring 75 by 45 feet (23 by 14 m) and a House chamber of 85 by 75 feet (26 by 23 m). On the top floor was the Oregon Supreme Court with a courtroom measuring 54 by 45 feet (16 by 14 m) and the Oregon State Law Library, 75 by 70 feet (23 by 21 m). Also on the top floor was a viewing gallery for the House. On the exterior were ornamental pilasters and two-story porticos on the east and west ends. The building included a lunch counter. The building had mullion-windowed wings. The large copper-clad dome was constructed with an iron and steel framework. This dome rose above the rest of the building and was tall. The building was of Renaissance style with Corinthian columns on the front entrance and was patterned after the United States Capitol. At that time, the capitol faced west toward the Willamette River. The government began using the building in August 1876, before the dome was built. Originally, plans called for towers on both sides of the dome (a tower on both ends of the building with the dome in the middle), but they were left out to save money. Oregon's second capitol building stood from 1876 to 1935.
1935 Fire On April 25, 1935, at 6:43 pm, a custodial engineer called the Salem Fire Department to report smoke. Citizens helped to remove items from the smoky building, but when firefighters arrived, they ordered everyone to leave the structure, which was soon engulfed in flame. Among the helping citizens was twelve-year-old Mark Hatfield, who later became governor of Oregon. Originating in the east wing's basement, the fire spread to documents stored there. It was spread by an updraft to the upper stories through the hollow columns around the dome's supporting girders. The heat was so intense it destroyed even the copper dome and brightly lit the night sky.
The flames could be seen as far away as Corvallis, 40 miles to the southwest. One volunteer firefighter, Floyd McMullen, a student at Willamette University, was killed by the fire, which drew firefighters from as far away as Portland. Salem sent seven fire trucks to the scene; three more came from Portland. Only the outer walls were left standing after the fire was extinguished. Losses were estimated at $1.5 million ($ as of ), and the state did not carry insurance. The losses, which included historic artifacts such as the portraits of the previous governors, could have been worse had the state not used fire-proof vaults in the basement to store valuables such as more than $1 million ($ as of ) in stocks and bonds. During the blaze, firefighters poured water on these vaults to help keep them cool and prevent the contents from disintegrating. Years earlier, the state had turned over many historical documents to the Oregon Historical Society in Portland for preservation, and those records were preserved. Although the Supreme Court had moved to the Oregon Supreme Court Building in 1914, the two buildings were connected by tunnels used for electricity and heating. At the time of the fire, the Oregon State Library was in the basement and first floor of the Supreme Court Building. Many books and documents in the basement suffered water damage when water used to fight the fire flooded tunnels and seeped into the Supreme Court Building. Offices previously housed in the Capitol were moved temporarily to other government buildings and to leased space in downtown Salem until a new building was built.
Third capitol (1938–present)
Construction
Construction of the newest building began on December 4, 1936. The third state capitol was completed June 18, 1938 and is the fourth-newest capitol in the United States. The capitol was dedicated on October 1, 1938, with speeches from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, historian Leslie M. Scott, publisher Robert W. Sawyer, and Oregon Governor Charles Henry Martin. Chosen from 123 entries in a countrywide competition, the design of the new building deviated from the normal design of state capitol buildings. The design was labeled a combination of Egyptian simplicity and Greek refinement. Overall it is Art Deco in style, and is one of only three state capitols in the United States constructed in that architectural style.Esteve, Harry. Capitol scene 2001 Oregon Legislature. The Oregonian, January 8, 2001.