Contracts were perfected and signed yesterday by the bidders to whom the awards were made for work upon the new capitol as follows, the several parties being the lowest bidders for the respective classes of work: J. S. Burris for the brick work; Wiley & Carlson for the carpenter work, and the Frontenac Stone company for the stone work. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Saturday, June 25, 1881, Page 4)
Among the elegant and imposing structures, not fully completed, is the new state capitol, situated on the square bounded by Wabashaw and Cedar streets on the east and west, and Exchange and Tenth streets on the south and north. The building is to be three stories and basement. The general design of the exterior is a modern adaptation of the renaissance. The material used is Minnesota brick and stone. The basement walls are of broken limestone. The first belt of the superstructure is of brown stone from Fond du Lac. The walls are to be of red pressed brick from Red Wing, with trimmings of Frontenac sand stone. The sloping portions of the roof will be covered with slate and the flat parts with tin. The gutters, etc., will be of copper. From the center of the building will rise a tower of graceful proportions 175 feet in height. On the first floor halls 18 feet in width run each way through the building, merging in the center in a rotunda thirty feet in diameter. Tesselated pavements are to be laid throughout the halls and corridors. Stairways will lead up to the second floor from several directions, affording means of speedy ingress and egress. All stairways will be of iron, as also the joists, etc., and the partition walls, well and everything connected with the interior construction will be made as nearly fire proof as possible. The interior will be finished in natural woods, which will give it a pleasing as well as rich appearance. It will be heated partly by steam and partly by hot water. The steam heating apparatus will be located in a separate building, connected with the capitol by a tunnel. The work is being done in a most substantial manner, and completed it will be a structure of which no Minnesotian need be ashamed, though the impression is already becoming very general that a mistake has been made in not providing for a larger and more elaborate building - more in keeping with the mammoth business blocks and costly residence structures yearly springing into existence in the capital and commercial city of the state, and with the important position occupied by Minnesota as the Empire state of the Northwest. Mr. L. S. Buffington is the architect. The building will cost $250,000. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Saturday, December 31, 1881, Page l)
James Burris, contractor for the brick work upon the state capitol building, put a force of men to work yesterday erecting the scaffolding, and expects to commence laying brick Monday next. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Tuesday, March 28, 1882, Page 4)
The new capitol architect spent yesterday with James S. Burris, who has the contract for the brick work, explaining the plans, giving dimensions, etc., and this morning Mr. Burris will put a large force of bricklayers at work, under whose manipulation the walls will go up rapidly. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Tuesday, April 4, 1882, Page 1)
The ground plan of the superstructure, now so rapidly approaching completion, and in which the legislature will meet a week from Tuesday, is that of a Greek cross, each wing being 150 feet in length, three stories above the basement, with a central dome rising 200 feet above the ground. The foundation is of cut stone, and is pronounced one of the best laid and most substantial in the city. The walls extend some six feet above the surface of the ground, so the basement is light and airy, while protection from moisture is secured by an apron wall outside arched up to the bottom of the basement windows. The walls of the superstructure are red pressed brick, with Dresbach stone trimmings, the combination of colors thus secured striking the eye very agreeably. The expanse of roof is broken and relieved by pagodas on the corners and four air and light flues, and the central observatory, a square structure, pierced on each side by three rows of windows, and with its dome, (not yet in place), reaching a height of some sixty feet.
The Basement. The west and part of the south wing of the basement is to be occupied by the State Historical society, until the time shall come when the air so dear to the secretary and others is accomplished, a building of its own. The north wing basement will be used as supply rooms by the secretary of state, while the south wing will be divided off into bath room, barber shop and toilet closets. The ceiling is high and all rooms are well lighted, and every precaution, as mentioned above, has been taken to preserve the walls from moisture and to secure the best of ventilation.
The First Floor. The main entrance, on (the) front of the building, is from Wabashaw street. Ascending the broad stairway, and passing through the double doorway, the visitor steps into the main hall which is eighteen feet in width, the four arms eighty-four feet in length meeting directly under the central observatory or tower, the space where the four come together being thirty feet square. On the right of the hall, entering from Wabashaw street is the Governor’s Apartments, three rooms in suite, with toilet rooms, etc., occupying a surface of about 65x50 feet. The rooms are finished in mahogany and birds eye maple, and with their high ceiling, wide windows and rich finish present a very cheerful and inviting appearance. A feature of the main apartment will be the memorial window, which will occupy the space on the air and light court of this wing. In this same wing, but entered from the Ninth street hall by a small hall, are two rooms in suite, 30x14, to be occupied by the attorney general, and a room 26x18, to be used for meetings as occasion may require.
The Auditor. On the opposite side of the hall opposite the governor’s apartments, are the four rooms to be occupied by the auditor, 18x18, 20x33, 20x30 and 16x12, respectively, connected by a private passageway. These rooms are finished in brown ash and finished with counters and other conveniences for business of the office. The Treasurer. Next (to) the auditor, and occupying the north or Tenth street wing, are three rooms in suite, to be occupied by the treasurer, of nearly the same dimensions as those of the auditor, with which they are connected by a private hallway. Cornering on the hallways is a small room about fifteen feet square to be occupied by the janitor. Secretary of State. Passing to the east wing, on the left, or opposite those of the treasurer, are the rooms of the secretary of state, three in number, of the same dimensions and general style of finish as those of the treasurer. The corner small room facing that of the janitor on the opposite side of the hall, is for a cloak room and lavatory. An iron stairway connects the room with the supply rooms in the basement.
The Railroad Commissioner comes next, with two rooms about 15x20 each, the superintendent of public instruction having the next and last two rooms north of the hall, in the east wing. The South Side of the east wing is occupied by the clerk of the supreme court, with two rooms, the insurance commissioner two rooms, while two rooms are set apart for the use of attorneys. All the rooms are wainscoted and finished in brown ash, each suite having its separate closets, lavatories, cloak rooms, etc.
The Second Floor is reached by two broad iron stairways with slate treads leading up from two sides of the rotunda. From the rotunda landing on the second floor, hallways corresponding to those on the first floor lead, except in case of the north wing, in which case entrance is made directly into the Assembly Chamber, the largest, and in some respects one of the finest and most cheerful rooms in the structure. Its dimensions are 47x86 feet, with a twenty-five foot ceiling. The paneling of gum wood and mahogany, has an oil polish finish, giving it a rich and tasty appearance. The desk for the speaker is directly opposite the main entrance, the floor being elevated about four feet. In front, semi-circular in form, is the desk for the clerks. The one apparent failure is the contracted space given the speaker and the clerks. The ceiling is ribbed and divided into squares, with a large stained glass skylight window forming the center. Across the entire south side of the room runs the gallery, the rail of which is heavily paneled, and finished to correspond with the desk of the speaker and the paneling of the hall. Eight large windows furnish an abundance of light during the day, while two large chandeliers with seventy-two burners each, with four electric lights suspended from the four corners of the skylight, will illuminate the room most brilliantly at night.
The Senate Chamber is located in the Wabashaw street wing, and is the coziest and handsomest room in the building. In fact it is too cozy, the space being too limited for a convenient and pleasant dispatch of the business to which it is to be devoted. It is 41x48 feet, with a gallery extending all around the four sides, reached by stairways from the hall and also from the chamber by a fair foot stairway in the north side. The woodwork is of yellow birch and birds eye maple, the paneling of the room, as well as the design and finish of the gallery being elaborate and strikingly attractive. A large stained glass skylight and wine stained glass windows in the gallery supply abundant light for the day, while a seventy-five burner chandelier and four electric lights suspend from the skylight, as in the assembly chamber, will light the room brilliantly at night. Off the south side of the chamber are three rooms for clerks, etc., while opposite are cloak and lavatory rooms.
The Supreme Court Room is located in the Exchange street wing of the second floor, as in the burned building. The court room is 26x40. It has paneling and finish of cherry and Hungarian ash. Opening out of the court room, and running toward Wabashaw street are five private rooms for the judges. Off from it on the opposite side is a retiring and consultation room for attorneys, from which is also an opening into a private hallway leading to the room of the librarian and the library itself, which is 21x98, and extending nearly across the entire front of the east wing and giving ample space for the wants of the library. The finish is in brown ash. The Third Floor. The space here is occupied largely by the galleries of the senate and assembly chamber and a large room 31x97 to be used for caucuses, connecting with which is a large committee room. In the two upper floors there are in all twenty rooms that can be used for committee purposes when needed.
Protection Against Fire. In the construction of this building the paramount idea has been to make it as near fireproof as possible. To this end the engine and boiler rooms have been located in the northeast corner of the square. This is forty feet square, built of red brick and trimmed in harmony with the main building. From it a tunnel is run to the basement of the main structure through which the hot air is forced by a thirty horse power engine into the pipes which lead to the radiators in all parts of the building and furnishing an abundance of heat for the coldest weather. The radiators in the different rooms just under the windows thus tempering the cold air upon its first entrance into the room. As a further precaution against fire all the floors and every partition and wall is protected by a fireproof covering of slabs made of ashes and cement, while the hallways are covered with tile laid in cement, of which there are 20,000 feet.
Thus the stairways are of solid iron and slate so that should a fire by any means be started in any of the rooms it would be almost impossible for it to communicate to others. As in the means employed to prevent the spread of fire, the best known means to secure perfect ventilation have been employed. As one means, coupled with that of supplying light to interior rooms, four large shafts run from the basement to the top of the building, with which are connected the fire, heat and cold air boxes, removing the foul air and supplying fresh to every room. In the wall of each room a register connects through foul-air ducts with four large chimneys running to the top of the building with which the traps of the closets connect, thus promptly and thoroughly carrying away all foul odors. In short the new structure is in every way a credit to the state and an ornament to the capital city, as well as a monument to all who have been connected with its construction, good judgment, excellent taste and honest work, being manifest in all the details.
The architect is L. S. Buffington, under whose personal supervision the foundation, grouting and all the wood interior finishing and decorating was done by day work. Mr. James S. Burris was the contractor for the brick work; Wheaton Reynolds & Co. for the manufactured woodwork; Wiley & Carlson for the carpenter work; Kenney & Hudner for the gas fitting; E. F. Osborne the steam fitting; Wilson & Rogers furnished the gas fixtures; George Dempsey did the plumbing; Kingsbury & Draper furnished the hardware; Christian & Hazzard did the plastering; A. Warner & Co. the fireproofing; the ornamental stone work was furnished by the Frontenac Stone company; Noyes Bros. & Cutler furnished the plain glass and McCully & Miles the stained, and Herzog & Co. the iron and slate stairways. The chairs were furnished by De Coster & Clark; the desks and furniture by the St. Paul Furniture company, and the carpets by John Matheis, Auerbach, Finch, Van Slyck & Co. and Wm. L. Anderson. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Sunday, December 31, 1882, Page 9)
The occupancy of the new capitol, of which the Globe of yesterday contained a full description, will commence this morning, when the secretary of state and his assistants will take possession of his office, and at 12 noon, to-morrow, Jan. 2, just nine months from the day on which the first brick was laid on the superstructure, both branches of the legislature will be called together in their respective chambers. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Monday, January 1, 1883, Page 8)