Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-16
The Story OF the Building OF the Maine
State House.

with imposing ceremonies on the Fourth o
July, lSs?, and an address was delivered O,
i. the occasion by Governor Enoch Lincolr
v who died in Augusta in the following octo
Der. The incidents connected with the cree
tion Of the State House have been recalled
ey the efforts Of parties in the late Legisls
'are TO remove the seat Of government to
Portland, and brief sketch Of its location
and erection may be of interrs, to some of
the numerous readers Of your paper. Aud
In passing, l wish TO say that to me, the most
cxasperating part Of the late controversy vas
the abuse hesped upon the building itself
While admitting that the State has outsrown
its capacity and that more room is now need
ed. which will soon be provided, the building
itself Is one Of the fues, and most suhstan-
ual structures ever erected in this or any
other State. twas built Of massiv. granite
and OF the very best quality for building pur-
poses.
Its color remains practically unchanged
and as it rests upon a solid ledge of the same
material, there is no such thing possible A.
Its becoming "cld and dilapds,cd," as ito
enemies have said of IT, 1t good for many
generations to come and when the proposed
addition Is completed, its Accommodations
will be ample and all that the State will
need.
| The convention TO form n constitution for
| Mare met at Portland In the autumn of 1879
The constitution passed the convention aud
VI" then submitted to the people The con-
venton reassemhed Jan. 3, 1920. in,s,mn ne
| the returns and ascertain the result Il vas
found that the instrument had br,n adopted
by large majority. Thereupon n & ,,nm, ttee
consisting of Hon Asa Chpp. M.ih,w Cobb,
Isaac ll'ley, Arthur MCCLELLAN, Barrett rot.
ter. Robert llsle, aud Levi Gutter, ESQ was
chosen 'ro provide suitable building. and nc-
comm odations for the meeting OF III, Gov
ernoi Council, he Sen ,te and House of
R"pres natives of the state Of Maine. at
their first session to BE- holden In Portland on
Che last Wcdn,sia, of May, 1920"
AT this session and at the session of 1921,
resolve vas passed simply providing that
Portland should be the place for the meeting
of the next legislature.
resolve passed Feb 2, 1920 provided
that the rext session be held In Portland aud
that committee to be appointed for auo,her
purpose, shoul n ~ "be authorized aud di-
rected to visit such towus as they ma, think
proper. to designate some central aud su,tA-
BILE place at which the seat of government
may be permanently fixed and established aud
to report at the next session of the leglsla-
ture "
II would be interesting In this conncc ctlon,
to follow the debates of the next few sessions
upon the location of the capitol, hut II they
are IN existence they are not accessible at
this time The journals of the House and
Senate, while not giving the discussions, bear
ample testimony 10 the numerous Disagree
ments. and indicate that the
Debate. Were Very sharp.
and may have sometimes been bitter. Re-
suits are mainly what We arc consid,rnp
now. In the three following sessions. near
the close, resolutions were passed simply
providing that Portland should be the place
OF holding the following session.
Among the printed resolves of the session
of 1927, Ia one approved February ~, pro-
vidiDg that "Hallowell in the county Of
kennsbec. be the place at which the neIt
session OF the Legislature shall meet and
hold their session The same day tFsh.
"a, 1920 an act wa. approved providing that
on and after the first day of January. 1892,
the permanent seat of the govcrumen Mt should
be established in Augusta in the county Of
Kennebe
The same act provided THAT the Govern
nor aud Council be authorized to obtain a
conveyance To the Stale of n suitable lot Of
land in said Augusta on which the public
buildings may be erected provided tn s,me
car be bad without expense To the State"
Another sect on placed the sum OF $500 at
the disposal of the Governor aud Council
| ito ena1le them to cause such lot as may be
conveyed to be improved, fenced and orna-
menied with forest trees"
| While matters ps raining to the location
of the seat of government were under dis
cussion during this session, they were dis
cussed and laid upon the table from day to
day motions were male to strike out Angus
In and insert "IIallowell." "Por,land,"
"Waterville" and Bangor but each move
ment Of this kind was defeated The com.
mi,tee appointed by the Governor aud Coun-
ell had previously visited some of the places
above named, alec Wi.casset and other towns
where their attention was called but had re-
port 4 in favor Of Anguish.
| 4 meeting of the Governor ard Council
was holden At Falmprs Hotel (after-
wards the Mansion House,. In Augusta.
June 8, 1927 "for the purpose OF viewing
such lot or lots of land a- might be offered
! t,h ,l.
80 ah,.i..i,, '. a.. =,
~. G. - w
rn.a;,,e 'wI vp1,t w,,' ~"
Uhi,,n,, po,,aI, .r, ~ cl.,',ar
,,a,aa,,d b. -.
ent.
A cour,i,,a. .on.i.,i, -, n..i.i f,,x
t..h,a e. 49,, i.,,a. .,,',.e'.,,
,,;os h., I.., pa,,n, Dh, u,tI,'p
NV" Sonn NV. w. ".',n ".'a'
,a,a,, ,h. Ca.a,''.,,, G'.,.'.I
~, r. .'',i'.i.,-, ~, a., 49,
"' ~, .' "
80 T., -. . ,r.
"r ~ "os o..s"u
IL o'(" Wv" 'p'"' .''' ,'"o
-, 49,, '', ,n y, po'".' Wv :" NV. ~,
% - - ,,',, w. u. 80 ~
n,a.a,, hon.l,a.t H., ~ "a ,.'.a, ~" "'
and ''We,ton's Hill" the present site ~ the
State House. III. vote stood four IN favor
Of We.ton's Hill and two IN favor Of the
Whitwell lot" nov kporn a. T. nmons'
Hill or the Emmons lot The reasons as
sgned BY the minority were ,h't the grounds
In the vicinity Of Em nois' I'LL pere more
eligible and Convenient sites for builiing,
and are much improved and orn~mebtpd by
the citizens Of Augusta, and possessing local
advantages for busine .. which NJ other pat