The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-09
ton This, as much as anything else, makes
the loss heavy"

ton. This, as much as anything elSe' IiidhSS
the loss heavy.
The History of the StatehoUse.
Baldwin county was mapped out and the
town of Milledgeville chartered in 1903 and
soon the legislature determined to build
handsome stateholise there. a committee
was appointed with a Howell Cobb ana a
John Rutherford-familiar names IN Georgia
even now-among the others to select a
site for the capitol and to arrange for the
building Of it in Milledgevile. The commit
tee made a report at the next session OF the
general assembly. Thus it Vas that the
statehouse at Milledgeville came to be punt.
1t was made the throne of Georgia IN
1S03 The building cost the state $ll5,0Oo
and the construction was under the Guld-
anCe of General Thomas.
The building high slope on the
western side Of the city of Milledgeville,
and was surrounded by a great beautiful
green lawn and Swallowed by stalWart oaks
all around. It was certainly a charming To-
cation for q state capitol, and the gray,
castle-like walls of the building touched Off
with becoming contrast the green OF the
campus and the dense foliage of the giant
| trees in summer time. 1t was a peculiar
| style of architecture, but a style Wlthal
that smaclzs of the southern idea OF such
| things in that day and time, and for that
| reason the building was all the more
| study.
| An old historian describes it as follows:
| 1.-THE statehouse stands on an eminence,
f! threcfourths Of mile fr22m tbs EfYiec}es N 81
I the governor, secretary OF state treasurer
comptroller and surveyor general, besides
! apartments for clerks and committees and
! several fireproof rooms for public records
! me representatives hall is 54x60 feet or
| namented with full length portraits of Cen
! eraIS oSlethorpe and LeFayette, and
| the senate chamber with those of Wash
lngton and Jefferson. In the executive Office
is an old portrait of Oglethorpe sitting
dressed IN an antique costume and exam
nf
win me wing was erected at the north
END IN 1873. cost $4,000. The cost Of a. ex-
celient clock in the cupola was 81 900"
in 1929. vi
In 1926 during the exciting no1i+;oo1 81
lllhlStration Of George NJ. Troup, the foun
DER Of the states right party in Georgia
the capitol building being too small for the
accommodation of the increasing number
OF counties and legislators, the Legislature
recommended the addition of two WINGS
AFcllltectural engineers being scarce in the
south at that time Governor Troup en-
Ployed MT Fulton, an EngIishman, who
had just finished 8 contract with the etata
Of North Carolina. and who was bioh1v
recommended to him by the governor Of
the Old North Tar State as being q verv
competent engineer, etc. for the purposes
the state Of Georgia required If was Mr.
fulton who designed the additions +, thn
capltol and who was made suDerintendant
OF public works
IN lS23 General Lafayette was entertain
tu thefe by invitation of the legislature of
eco ga An ovation was given him by the
people and the old revolutionary soldiers
prominent among whom was General and
Ex-Governor John Clark
was while Governor John Milledee ruled |
over the state that the capitol was built
ana the city Of MiIledgevina chartered The |
pace was named after the DISTINGUISHED
governor Of that day who was so largely
III eIutnehtai IN securing the new building
OF state and who was the first governor to
pltch ms Official tent beneath its r0oftree
Inc building was large enough for a SEN
ate chamber. a hall Of representatives.
olllces Tor the governor and several other |
state officials with a few rooms remain
Ing for the committees Of the legislature
ana Tor other purposes. The legislature al
lowed the court of Baldwin county to be
held Fn the statehouse for several years
but there is a law on record forbidding this |
after 1905. In those days the state capitol
was regarded as one of the finest buildings
IN the whole region of the south, so the
traditions and stories run, and the people |
OF Georgia were very, very proud of it.
Beyond all shadow OF doubt the most |
eventful period of the entire history of the |
state Of Georgia was that which marked |
the time when the capitol of the state was |
at NIilledgeviue. The seat of power was
taken to Miledgevlle just at the time when |
the colonial days had passed over, the war |
or the revolution smoOthed down and |
the country building up and prospecting like |
the proVerbial rose. 1t was a bright and |
sunny period in the growth of Georgia The |
state university at Athens had just been |
founded ana happy days of enlightenment |
seemed to be dawning upon the expanding |
settlements despite the frequent troubles |
with the Indians
Since the removal of the capital to Atlanta
the Old building has been used for college.