Texas State Capitol, State capitol building in downtown Austin, United States.
The Texas State Capitol is a red granite government building in downtown Austin. The design combines Renaissance elements with Mediterranean influences, and the structure rises about 14 feet (4 meters) taller than the Capitol in Washington.
The cornerstone was laid on March 2, 1885, Texas Independence Day, and the building opened to the public on April 21, 1888, San Jacinto Day, before completion. It was dedicated on May 18, 1888 by State Senator Temple Houston, closing a week of celebrations that drew nearly 20,000 visitors. The 1882-1888 construction employed as many as a thousand convicts and migrant workers at a time, including 86 Scottish granite cutters.
The bronze statue atop the dome is the Goddess of Liberty, holding a five-pointed Texas star aloft. Inside, the rotunda carries portraits of every president of the Republic of Texas and every governor of Texas, and the south foyer holds sculptures of Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin by Elisabeth Ney. The rotunda also works as a whispering gallery.
Free guided tours run every day, with longer hours available on weekdays. The entrance sits on the south side, and security checks resemble those at airports.
The builders received three million acres of public land in the Texas Panhandle as payment. This area later became the XIT Ranch, one of the largest cattle ranches in history.
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