The Portland daily press., 1897-10-02
THE ALBANY CAPITOL STAIRCASE
A MaGn ficent Thing, in Building sinca
1884, But Not Yet Finished.


The great western staircase of the state
capitol, one of the most beautiful and
costly on the western continent, says an
Albany letter in the New York Tribune
is Fapproaching completion. Scaffolding
yet surround it, workingmen are still en-
gagged in carving stone upon it, but it
win soon be finished. Possibly the mem
bers of the Legislature which meets here
on January l may be able to witness its
unwilling, if there is any ceremony of
this nature.
Begun in March, 1884, from designs of
the great architect, II. II. Richardson of
Boston. which were carried out by Isaac
H. Perry, the present state architect
the actual time expended in work upon
the monumental structure has been eight
years. And from Mr.. Perry's disclaimer
of any knowledge-of what it has cost one
can infer that it has been tremendously
expensive staircase. There is suspicion
founded upon certain estimates that it
has cost toward half a million dollars, but
no one would be surprised if Mr.. Perry
should acknowledge that it.has cost ST.
600, 600. The difficulty of estimating rests
in the fact that state laborrers were paid
to work upon it and that their labor in
the accounts is not separated from that
of laborers on other portions of the gigan-
tic building.
The staircaseyis q double one; its stair
ways winding in and out of the central
piers, and rising thus from story to story.
it occupies a space rs feet 10 1-2 inches
north and south by SO feet 10 Ia inches
east and west. Its height from the tile
floor in the first story to the top OF the
cornice is los feet, and thence from the
summit to the glazed dome IA feet, MAX
ing total height of 119 feet. The east
and west main corridors of the western
section of the capitol extend along the
great staircase in the first, second, third
and fourth stories, except on the west
side of the second story, where the en-
trance lobby is located, connecting with
all four of the corridors, which are en-
bellished with columns and pilasters with
carved caps and string courses. The bal
ustrades are profusely carved and so also
are the columns of red Crsehilol sand
stone which sustain the stairway.
On the east side of the first story are
carved corbels under the arches support
ing the center row OF steps, representing
Justice on one and Liberty" on the
other. The corbels supporting the third
story arches which carry the center rows
of steps on the east bear the words "Ex-
celsior" on one and "E Pluribus Unum''
on the other, and on the west side Is a
quotation from the Declaration of hide
pendence.
There are carved heads to be seen be-
tween the caps of every column. Thus
there are heads Of Fenimore Cooper,
Joseph Henry, George William Curtis,
Silas Wright, George Washington, Abra-
ham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Thomas
Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and John
jay. On transom over the entrance
to the state library is a carving represent
ing the head and neck of Minerva. with
a wreath of oak leaves falling down on
either side of the same, the whole set
well-designed and carefully executed
foliage. On the low section Of the tran
som are the words Estate Library -
with carving representing palm leaves
springing out from behind the caps of
the columns on either side, which meet
the lettering In well-executed representa-
ton of an ivory leaf entwined around the
letters. A carved head representing
Homer is recessed between the carved
capitals of the pilasters on the north side
of the doorway and that of Shakespeare
between the carved capitals of the pilas-
tiers on the south side. Cupids are repre-
sented in the spaces between the pilasters
and columns at either side of the library
doorway, and at other points in the
carved string courses. Heads represent
ing old men and oupids are introduced at
intervals in the string course set in
twining foliage.