The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-31
CAPITOL BEGUN IN
1867 HAS COST
100000
Original Appropriation Was On
Iy S4,OOO,OOO
WAS NEVER COMPLETED
costlest Public Structure With the
Exception Of Philadelphia
City Hall
WAS NEVER COMPLETED

damaged by fire Wednesday morning,
was commenced in 1867 and although
the original act providing for the
building authorized the expenditure
of only $4000,000 the building is not
yet finished and more than S25,000,000
has been spent ON it, or at any rate
paid for it. 1t has a national reputa-
ton as one of the costliest of public
structures, being exceeded only by
the Philadelphia City Hall, which
has cost more than $30,0O0,000.
The Capitol was constructed upon
the highest of the several hills upon
which the city of Albany is built. 1t
took the place of the old Capitol,
which had been erected in 1906 at
cost of $4,000 and which was finally
deserted for the new building in 1879.
Agitation for new capitol began as
early as 1860, when the legislature di-
rected the trustees of the Capitol and
the chairman of the committee on
Public Buildings to prepare suitable
plans and report at the next session.
In the two years before the commit
tee reported efforts were made by
New York, Buffalo and many other
cities to get the Capitol away from
Albany. In 1865 after the committee
had reported the legislature author
lied the erection of a new building
whenever the city of Albany gave
the land proposed, and in 1866 after
the city had bought the present site
for $4,000 an act was passed ratify-
ing and confirming the location OF
the capitol The next year S25O,0OO
was appropriated, but the act provid-
ed that no money should be spent
until plan for a capitol had been
agreed upon which should cost not
over 100000 when completed. The
plan submitted by Thomas Fuller was
adopted and he was appointed archi-
tect, with William J. McAlpine con-
sulting engineer.
On December 8, 1867 ground was
broken by a contractor with force
of 100 men. The capitol commission
ers appointed up to that time were
Hamilton Harris, John V. l.. Pruyn,
o. b. Latham, Alonzo b. Cornell, Jas.
S. Thayer, William a. Rice. James
Terwilliger and John 7. Hudson The
commissioners were then authorized
to acquire half a block of land addit-
ional and TO change the plans accord
ingly, but In case the cost exceeded
S4.000.000 they were not TO proceed
until8the plans had been approved.
The enlarged plans were approved
in 1869 and on July of that year Mr.
Pruyn laid the first stone in the foun-
dation. The foundation extended to
a depth OF fifteen feet, with sub
basement nineteen feet deep. In this
sub. basement are 144 compartments
for heating, ventilating and storage
purposes.
The cornerstone was laid on June
"a, 1871 with Masonic ceremonies In
that year the capitol commission was
changed so that Harris and Rice were
the only old members remaining and
Chauncey NJ. Depew, William c.
Kingsley. Delos A. Wolf and Edwin
4. Merritt became members. Mr. Har
ris resigned as chairman in 1876 in
which year the entire board was abol-
ished and the lieutenant governor,
the canal auditor and the attorney
general were substituted. The office
of capitol commissioner was created
in 1888, empowering a single commits
sioner TO take charge OF the work at
$1,000 a year Gov. Cleveland nomi-
mated Isaac G. Perry who held Office
for eleven years,
Mr.. Fuller had been SUPERSEDED as
architect in 1876 by "a. advisory
board consisting OF Frederick Law
Ilmstead. Leopold Eidlitz and Henry
II. Richardson. They modified Full
ler's Italian Renaissance plan TO the
RomanesQue but the work had not
gone far when the legislature direct
ed "A return TO the original plan and
this was done as far as possible max
ing n free Renaissance style
The capitol was first occupied by
the legislature on January Z, 1879,
when the Senate met in the room on
the second floor originally intended
for the Court of Appeals and the as
sembly In It's own chamber. The for
nal opening was on February 10 Of
that year The Senate Chamber was
not ready for occupancy until March
10. 1881.
Capitol Square on which the build
/ Ing stands. % 1894 feet long by 800
feet wide and contains z Sil00ths
acres The elevation Is 1915 feet
above the Hudson and the ground
falls of TO the eastward 81 feet The
area OF the building Is . 6S10Oths
acres. the width 800 feet and the
depth 800 feet. The height Of the
four corner pavllions Is 22i feet the
roof line Ga i76 feet from the street
and the main approach extends ia
feet from the building
In the ruined west wing Of the
building the important offices on the
ground floor were OF the State Com
mission In Lunacy, state Board OF
Charities. State Treasurer, State
Board OF Tax Commissioners ana De
parlmont OF Education The Public
Service Commission. the Insurance
Department. the superintendent OF
Prisons. the superintendent OF Pub
lie Works and the Post Onlco are In
the cast VIM
on the second floor OF the wes'
wing wero the Offices OF the Attorney
General. the Excise Department ant