Photo: Bain News Service, publisher · Public domain · via Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons
Capitol · Saint Paul, United States
Minnesota State Capitol
- Dated
- Dated 1896–1905
- Declared purpose
- Seat of the Minnesota Legislature
- Today
- Survives, still the capitol
- Build time
- About 9 years (1896–1905)
- Region
- United States
- Architect of record
- Cass Gilbert, architect: about 36 when credited (1895, born 1859). Build time on record: about 9 years (1896–1905).All architects of record →
- On the list as
- Documented
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
Cass Gilbert's first big commission, with one of the largest self-supported marble domes in the world. The record says its design drew on the 1893 Chicago fair.
A first big job
Gilbert was in his late 30s when he won it. Researchers in the Architects of Record angle ask how a young architect got and delivered a commission this size.
The White City look
Its design is linked to the 1893 Chicago fair and the Rhode Island State House. The same look appears in city after city within a few years.
Questions worth asking
- Where were the marble carvers trained?
- Why does the same Beaux-Arts dome turn up everywhere at once?
Possible original uses
- Capitol or civic palace
What the photos show
Sources
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
