Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-02-08
A NEW STATE CAPITOL.
Plans and Projects for New State
House or an Enlargement OF the Old
[Specia, 10 the Plain Dealer.l

[Specia! to the Plain Dealer.l
COLUMBUS, February "a joint COM
mittee of the two Houses OF the Legisia-
ture appointed last winter for that pur-
pos have been considering various plans
for a new capitol building or an enlarge.
ment OF the present building. The Capt.
tol of Ohio was at one time accounted |
the finest in the United States and it is |
notable structure as far as it goes. 1t is
solid, substantial and in some sense orna- |
mental. But it has never been completed
according to the original design. and the
state has grown away from it. There is
not room in it for the various depart
ments of the government. The rooms al
lowed to the Governor, are too small.
His private Office is dingy dismal little
apartment, very suggestive of cell in a
penitentiary. 1t became necessary a
year ago to utilize the room where the
protraits of Ohio Governors were kept,
for uses of the living Governor, and the
portraits were taken out and hung up in
the rotunda where they are rapidly being
tarnished and spoiled. Besides they are
so disposed that no good view of them
can be obtained and some Of them look
positivelylghastly. The State Department
is cramped, the State Board of Agricul.
ture has been distributed about the build
ing, the Adjutant General can only be
found by climbing dismal stairway into
the garret. The library lacks room and
the law library is in bad shape. Neither
the Senate nor the House Chamber is fit
| for the purposes intended, and the Su-
preme Court room is q mere den. 1t is
conceded on all hands that the state must
provide more houseroom for its govern
ment.
Two plans are suggested by the COM
mittee that has the matter in charge.
One is for another story on the present
Capitol building and finish it according
to or something like the original plan.
The other Is for separate building. The
first is generally favored. The Capitol
in its present shape is an architectural
monstrosity. 1t covers nearly two acres
of ground, but is only two stories high.
1t has 'ssquatty" look. 1t was original.
ly intended to finish it off with lofty
dome with a spire, but it was never
done. Instead round tower of an ex-
ceedingly ugly pattern was perched on
the roof. Looked at from distance the
Capitol resembles more than any thing
else one of the monitors Of the late war,
which were said to look like Yankee
cheese box on raft" 1t is now proposed
to take down this alleged ''dome," raise
the building another story and then
finish it off with dome more appropri-
ate to the size and style of the building
and one that will not violate all the prin.
ciples of architecture. This could be
done without great expense, abundant
room would be provided for the various
departments of the state government,
and there would be state house than
which few states could boast finer. The
other scheme is to erect another and
smaller building to be occupied by the
Supreme Court, Attorney General, Law
Library and such other departments as
have dear relationship to the Supreme
Court. It is probable that the first named
plan will be adopted and the work en-
tered upon within year or two.