Tennessee+State+Capitol+Building



The Tennessee State Capitol Building
 * What:**

Nashville, Tennessee
 * Where:**

The Tennessee State Capitol Building was laid out on July 4th, 1845. But, the final stone was not added until July 21 1855; almost a decade later.
 * When:**

The Tennessee State Capitol Building was designed by the architect William James Strickland. W.J. Strickland’s other noted architect includes the Second Bank of the United States Philadelphia and First Presbyterian Church. Throughout the process of creating the State Capitol Building, W.J. Strickland died and his son F.W. Strickland took over as the new leader for the building. Even though Strickland died as the building was being constructed, it was seen that all of his designs and hopes for the building were carried out. Some of his wishes included that he was to be buried in the walls of the State Capitol Building and that his tomb must be visible at the northeast corner of the building near the north entrance.
 * Who:**[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/William_Strickland_by_John_Neagle_1829.jpeg/250px-William_Strickland_by_John_Neagle_1829.jpeg width="200" height="239" align="right" caption="William James Strickland"]]

**How:**  There is no exact answer to how the Tennessee State Capitol Building got the land that it is on. But, there is a legend ** that the land owner, Judge George Washington Campbell, acquired it in 1811. The land was a part payment of a debt for a cow **. In the end, the land was donated for a place where the leaders of Tennessee can gather and discuss important matters.

While creating his designs for the Tennessee State Capitol Building, Strickland reviewed __The Antiquities of Athens__ for ideas. This was his inspiration that led to his goal to achieve his version of a Greek ionic temple through Greek revival architecture. This made for an original idea that excited the state.
 * Designs:**

 Even though the exterior of the Capitol building is riddled with bullet holes from the Civil War, one is still able to appreciate the Porticoes on all four sides of the building that resemble the Erectheum in Athens, Greece. Also, it is clear that the tower is replicated after the choragic monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece. The tower's columns are of Corinthian Greek order. For part of the tower and most of the roof, monolithic cut stone was used to make the building almost fire proof. This was an innovative idea for the time and shows how creative Strickland was while putting his designs into action. Unlike the inside of the building, wrought iron was used to border the roof. Cast iron was cheaper in money and quality, therefore Strickland went with wrought iron. Instead of having the building go through wear and tear through the idea, Strickland made a logical decision and went with higher quality. Without this idea, the Tennessee State Capitol building might not be here today.

 While the exterior of the Capitol building is of Greek revival architecture, the interior is filled with historical murals, frescos, portraits of past governors, and massive chandeliers.

 On another decorative note, after W.J. Strickland past, his son carried on his father’s love for the use of cast iron throughout the State Capitol Building. At the time (1840s) the cast iron was not only luxurious, but hard to find. Thus, the building became famous for not only the magnificent exterior, but also for the intricate designs inside the building.

 What makes the State Capitol Building unique is that unlike the majority of state capitols, the Tennessee State Capitol Building has a large cupola atop a pedestal where the US and Tennessee flags fly. This detail helps the transition from Greek ionic temple to an American building.

**Measurements:**  The Tennessee State Capitol Building stands 236 feet long, 109 feet wide, and 206 feet from the ground to the tower top.

**Home of:**  The Tennessee State Capitol Building is not only a National Historic Landmark, but the location of the governor’s office, the House and Senate chambers, and includes a library. The grounds of the State Capitol contain statues of Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. President and Mrs. James K. Polk’s tombs are also located on the Capitol grounds.

//For a Virtual Tour of the Tennessee State Capitol Building-// []
 * Want more:**

//Questions Call-// Public Programs Department at: (615)741-0830 or toll-free 800-407-4324

//Tours-// Guided tours are available on Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. *Groups of ten or more should make a reservation prior to their visit



**Critique:** The Tennessee State Capitol Building really shows Greek revival architect at its finest quality. The ionic temple and columns in the f ront and tower combined Greek architecture with a modern twist. Another example of how the State Capitol Building was modernized is the clock on the tower. Strickland knew that combining old with new ideas would create an original building that would be hard for someone to replicate or replace. He already had practice designing other buildings and they all proved to be a sucess. One of these successful buildings that came in handy was The Second Bank of the United States because that building was designed while using Greek revival architecture. Therefore, he already knew the materials, designs, and ideas that did and did not work. This is evident as he knew what kind of stone would be less likely to catch on fire and what would be the best kind of iron for outdoor weather. I was in shock on how creative Strick <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">land was with the supplies he used. Since Strickland studied __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Antiquities of Athens __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> he knew how to make the lower and upper columns. The columns are breathtaking and quickly became the main focus as one looks at the building. Instead of sinking the building into the ground like in Rome, he had the Capitol Building stand tall while displaying the magnificent beauty to all.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica; font-size: 13px; height: 100%; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; width: 100%;"> <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">Works Cited <span style="display: block; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 3em; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: -3em;">Mckinney, Rob. "Juvenile Crime : Nashville Criminal Law Report." // Nashville Criminal Law Report : Nashville DUI Lawyer & Attorney : Rob McKinney Law Firm : TN Criminal Defense, Domestic Violence : Cheatham, Davidson, Montgomery Counties //. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nashvillecriminallawreport.com/articles/juvenile-crime/>."Nashville." // Nashville //. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.mcgady.net/Nshv/nashville.html>."PACSCL -- The U. S. Naval Asylum." // Archives.pacscl.org -- the Old PACSCL Website //. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://archives.pacscl.org/shows/navalhome/index.html>."Tennessee State Capitol Building Information Interview." Interview by Jeffrey Steele/ Tennessee Tour Guides. Print."Tennessee State Capitol Exhibits." // Tennessee State Museum //. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. <http://www.tnmuseum.org/Exhibits/Tennessee_State_Capitol/>."Tennessee State Capitol." // History & Heritage of Civil Engineering //. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://live.asce.org/hh/index.mxml?lid=235&versionChecked=true>."Tennessee State Capitol." Web. 1 Apr. 2011. <http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1047&ResourceType=Building> <Tennessee State Capitol [|Los Angeles DUI Lawyers & Attorneys]>

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