The zinc-clad dome of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield

The Illinois State Capitol was completed in 1888 for a total cost of $4.5 million. Designed by Cochrane and Garnsey, a Chicago-based architectural and design firm, the building is a blend of French Renaissance and Italianate architectural styles. Ground was broken for the structure on March 11, 1868.

The cross-shaped structure houses the Illinois Senate, the Illinois House of Representatives, the Governor's office, and numerous executive branch offices, as well as additional offices for legislators and staff, and conference and committee rooms. The central rotunda, upper dome, and tower roofs are covered in zinc metal alloy, providing a silvery facade that does not weather or corrode.

The interior of the dome features a plaster circular frieze painted to resemble bronze, which illustrates scenes from Illinois state history, and stained glass windows, including a stained glass replica of the Illinois state seal in the center-top oculus of the dome, above the rotunda. Its grandeur is also reflected in the original water-operated elevators that were installed in 1887, though they were deemed inadequate by local newspapers.

Electric elevators were later installed sometime before 1939 when the state legislature appropriated $30,000 for their repair. The Illinois Capitol underwent a renovation in 2014 with the west wing achieving LEED Gold certification. In December 2021, state officials began a second phase of a similar renovation focused on the north wing. This project, estimated to continue until 2025 at a cost of $224 million, focuses on updating utilities infrastructure, making additional areas handicapped accessible, and removing asbestos.

Particularly notable in the renovation are the maiden statues that were originally sculpted and intended for the building since construction began in 1868. Illinois legislators in the 1870s thought the scantily-clad women statues too risqué, and plain lamps were installed at the base of the grand staircase railings instead. However, the maiden lamps intended for Illinois were installed at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines, while replica lamps of the 19th century Iowa statues were installed at Illinois during the renovation.

As we stand at the entrance of the Illinois State Capitol, we can see a building that is monumental in scale and rich in detail, a place that has preserved the history of Illinois while continuing to shape its future.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons