Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-18

OLD CAPITOL.
The first Capitol erected here for the
shelter Of the Legislature was on the
lot at the northwest corner Of Cary and
Fourteenth streets. 1t was plain
weather-boarded structure, but served
its purpose for eight or ten years, and
was then sold into private hands and
became the counting-house Of Dir.
Brown, rich and enterprising mer-
chant, generally known here as Capt.
tol Brown" whose descendants, the
Georges and others, continue here to
this day.
CAPITOL GROUNDS.
Shockoe Hill was selected as the site
for the new Capitol, and Commissioners
condemned for the purpose some thirty
half-acre lots. The jury gave each
owner the preference Of taking pay for
his lots in Continental money or gold.
For instance, in the case Of the lot g be-
longing to John Liggon, the jury say that
the said part of lott and houses are
worth Gl,000 specie, or one hum
dred and fifty thousand pounds paper
currency, this day, with depreciation
from this day till paid"
THE MODEL.
The model from which the present
Capitol was erected was sent from
France by Thomas Jefferson, and was
almost a facsimile of the Maison Quar-
rec, of Nismes, an ancient Roman tenn
pie; but in the actual erection Of the
building "many departures were made
from the model not to the advantage of
the building"
When it came to laying the corner
stone the Director of Public Buildings
requested the Masons to perform that
ceremony, and they accordingly as
sembled at their hall and marched in
procession to the site Of the proposed
building, where the Right Worshipful
Master deposited under the corner
stone a silver medal, wheTeon was the
following inscription
The Richmond Lodge Of Free-masons.
No I3 Alexander MONTGOMERY mnster
Joined by the other officers aud brethren.
assisted In laying the foundation OF this
fabric on the 18th day Of August. a. L.
57s5. a. ID. 1888. In the year OF American
independence 10. JAMES MERCER.
Grand Master OF Virginia.
THE REJECTED PLAN.
The Nismes plan was not forwarded
lere by Jefferson until 1856. Colonel
sherwin McRae, in a valuable article
hich he published in the Old Donlin-
IN Magazine in 1871, states 1.-The
rectors distinguished and most in
{ ,lligent gentlemen) had adopted a
! an for the Capitol deficient in beauty,
but very expensive; they were pre-
pairing to lay the first bricks when this
plan was shown TO Mr.. Jefferson, then
in France, who was so Mortified at the
sight that, with zeal the most in
tense, he urged Mr.. Madison to stop
the work until model worthy Of the
State C could be finished. To the inhu-
ence Of Mr.. Madison and Dir. Edmond
Randolph we are no doubt much in
debted for the rejection Of the direc-
tors plan and the adoption Of Mr..
Jeflerson's.'' After the
cornerstone was laid further progress
in the work was suspended until the
reception of the Clerissault (Nismes)
model in 1856, or, if small portion
of the work was done before 'S6, it
was rearranged and made to conform
to the model"
COST, &C.
On the 10Th October, 1859, the Gen
eral Assembly first met in the Capitol,
the building being still unfinished.
1t had at first fiat roof, which did
not succeed in keeping the rain of the
heads Of the legislators and accord
ingly, on December 16, 1895, the Gen.
eral Assembly voted $4,000 for the
purpose of altering the roof and finish
ing up the building.
The whole cost Of the building was
about 100000 of our present cur
rency.
1hAN0r- Af mn thANO
In the beginning the Capitol was only
intended to house the General Assem-
! bly,, but with alterations in the plan ii
was found feasible to crowd all the de-
partments in the basement and on the
floor above the legislative halls. For
years after it was built the Capitol was
not succeed. The fiat roof was
supplanted by the present ridge roof.
The present stone steps were preceded
by steps which assembled close TO the
walls Of the building. In the early
days of the Capitol the southern slope
Of the Square rose to q considerably
greater height than it does now, aud a
fight Of steps led from the ground to
the portico. Many Of the political as
semblsges Of the day were held here,
the speaker using the portico as his
platform and the people standing on the
hill in front Of him.
The interior Of the Capitol has been
remodelled over and over again to meet
the demands of the government. The
most thorough overhauling it has re-
ceived was the outgrowth Of the Capitol
dissster Of April 27, 1870, when, by
the failure of beam, the Supreme
Courtroom broke in and let about
three or four hundred people down into
the hall Of the House Of Delegates,
killing about siIty-iive and woundine
some two hundred more. While the
repairs were being made the House
Of Delegates met in the Syca-
more church (now the State court.
house,. More recently this same
floor has undergone further change
the Library has been extended
on the east side until it now reaches
the room which in 1870 was a part oi
the Supreme-Court room, and which
later, when the Supreme Court was
permanently installed in Sycamore
church, became the Office Of the Gov
ernor. The remodelling Of 1870 forced
the Supreme Court into other quarters.
That OF 1884 ousted the Offices Of the
Superintendent OF Public Printing and
superintendent Of Public Instruction,
and changed the Governors Office from
the northeast corner third floor to the
northwest corner--the spot where from
g l. A