World’s FairsFound, not built?
Old WorldWest Virginia State Capitol
West Virginia State Capitol
West Virginia State Capitol: NORTHEAST FACADE, HOUSE WING AND MAIN BLOCK, LOOKING WEST - Virginia State Capitol, Bank and 10th Streets, Capitol Square, Richmond, Independent City, VA HABS VA,44-RICH,9-17
West Virginia State Capitol: SOUTHWEST FACADE, MAIN BLOCK, SIDE VIEW, LOOKING WEST - Virginia State Capitol, Bank and 10th Streets, Capitol Square, Richmond, Independent City, VA HABS VA,44-RICH,9-8

Photo: Riis2602 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Capitol · Charleston, United States

West Virginia State Capitol

On the globe
Dated
Dated 1924–32
Declared purpose
Seat of the West Virginia Legislature
Today
Survives, still the capitol
Build time
About 8 years (1924–32)
Region
United States
Architect of record
Cass Gilbert, architect: about 65 when credited (1924, born 1859). Build time on record: about 8 years (1924–32).All architects of record →
On the list as
Documented

Hidden history

Found, Not Built

Cass Gilbert's gold-domed capitol, built after the previous capitol burned in 1921.

  1. Fire, then a grander capitol

    The 1921 fire cleared the old capitol.

  2. Gilbert again

    The same architect as Minnesota's capitol and the New York custom house.

Questions worth asking

  • Why does fire so often precede a grander rebuild?

Possible original uses

  • Capitol

What the photos show

Sources

Further viewing

Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.

Compare with

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