April 1, 2022
MISSISSIPPI STATE CAPITOL
400 High St, Jackson, MS
“The Mississippi State Capitol or the “New Capitol,” has been the seat of the state’s government since it succeeded the old statehouse in 1903. Located in Jackson, it was designated as a Mississippi Landmark in 1986, a National Historic Landmark in 2016 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.” – Wikipedia
Continuing my quest to visit capitol buildings in every state, I visited the Mississippi Capitol, and it may very well be the most beautiful capitol, at least on the inside, that I’ve seen so far. I was able to take a guided tour of the building, which greatly enhanced the visit. The building was built in 1903 at a cost of just over $1 million, which was paid in full at completion thanks to a successful lawsuit settlement ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court for back taxes owed by the Illinois Central Railroad. Our docent remarked if bonds or taxpayer money would have been used to pay for the construction the building would have looked much different. Since there are no rock quarries in Mississippi, all the stone used in construction were imported from other states. The architect wanted to include the newest technology of the time, so he incorporated 4750 electric fixtures in the design, which are still used today. Huge columns on the interior were made of cast iron then painted to look like marble, this helped in getting the construction completed in just 28 months.
The building has three domes, the center over the rotunda, and then one over each of the legislative chambers, which have beautiful stained and leaded glass in them. The legislature was in session and therefore I was not allowed to take pictures inside the chamber. The marble staircase was also very impressive.
The exterior of the building is not as ornate as the interior but is still very stately, with a gold-plated eagle sitting atop the center dome.
"United Confederate Veterans Honor the Memory of the Confederate Women of Mississippi"
The bas-relief sculpture within the pediment depicts Mississippi's history with Mother Mississippi in the center.
The gold-plated copper eagle tops the dome. It is eight feet high and 15 feet across.
There is a dome above each of the legislative chambers.
The "back-side" of the capitol.
The rotunda dome as seen from the ground floor.
Rooms were named using the Latin alphabet, which doesn't have the letter "u." The state's Supreme Court now has its own building. This room is now used for the Senate's Appropriations Committee.
Lady Justice decorates the rotunda.
Cast iron columns have been painted to look like marble.
The marble main stairway was beautiful.
Stained glass window representing Native Americans.
Stained glass window representing Mother Mississippi.
Entrance to the House of Representatives. The Legislature was in session, so we were not able to venture inside.
The new Mississippi State Flag, adopted January 11, 2021.
Yes, THAT John Grisham served in Mississippi's House for four years. We were told that after making someone mad in his first term Grisham was not given any committee assignments. He would spend time talking with other legislators and then go back to his office and make notes of the conversations. It is from these notes and during this time he wrote The Firm and A Time to Kill.
The Mississippi Veterans Memorial, across the street from the Capitol.