Almost Heaven, West Virginia...

We woke up Monday, November 20th and had breakfast in the hotel with our vouchers.  I caught the sunrise over the river from the window of our room.  The desk clerk told us that there was a farmer's market at the end of Capitol Street.  He thought it opened at 9:00 am, so we walked there after breakfast.  Unfortunately, it did not open until 10 am and so we were too early.  We decided to walk on to the capitol building and take a tour.  On the way to the market, we happened up a pedestrian walkway in which they were putting up Christmas trees decorated by various organization in Charleston.  It was a very pretty area.  A little further on we found the historic marker for the location of the first capitol buildings in Charleston (more on that later).

The view of sunrise for our window

Another view

Pedestrian walkway with trees

Sculptures along the walkway

The row a trees along with shops and restaurants

Rubber duck tree

More trees decorated

Pink sponge lungs decorated the Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctors Office

Historic marker for the First State Capitol

Capitol Market

Capitol Market from the front

We happened to pass by the Clay Center for Arts and Science.  It was a large building with a planetarium, theater, and art museum.  We walked up Quarrier Street.  We saw many beautiful old houses.  We stopped to talk to a man and he said the street is a part of a national historic registry.  The houses must be maintained in accordance with established guidelines.

  

Historic Quarrier Road House

Historic Quarrier Road House

Clay Arts and Science Center

We next headed through Capitol Circle where there was a war memorial and then on into the capital.  The capitol building is and u-shaped.  We enter in the west wing and made our way to the center of the u and the rotunda.  We needed to wait about 20 minutes for our tour, so we went to see the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.  This area is in the east wing on the third floor and is not a part of the tour.  They are currently in the process of creating an interactive learning center for young people to learn about how the appeals court process works.  

The capitol building is fairly large and houses a lot more of the state employees.  The rotunda area and the areas around it are made of white marble from Vermont, which made the interior brighter and cheerier than other capitals we have visited.  Our guide told use about the 6 different capitol buildings that have house the West Virginia capital.  West Virginia became a state in 1863 when separated from Virginia during the Civil War.  The capital building switch several times between Wheeling and Charleston until the people of the state voted to keep it in Charleston.  Doing to the switches and two fires, there were 6 capital buildings with the current building finished in 1924.  The architect was Cass Gilbert and his designs include Palace of Fina Arts -- St. Louis Art Museum (Expo Building 1904), Minnesota State Capitol -- St. Paul (1905), the Woolworth Building -- New York City (1913), and the United States Supreme Court Build -- Washington DC (1935) to name a few.

The construction of the present capitol took eight years to complete at a cost of just under $10 million.  The capitol holds 530,000 square feet of floor space and 333 rooms in its main unit and two wings.  The building encompasses more than 14 acres of floor space.  Two thirds of the interior consist of marble. The walls are made of Imperial Danby, and the floors are a combination of white Vermont marble and dark Italian travertine.  The Rotunda features a chandelier hanging from a 54-foot brass and bronze chain. The 4,000-pound chandelier is eight feet in diameter, made of 10,080 pieces of Czechoslovakian crystal, and illuminated by 96 light bulbs. (From the State Capitol Tour Book)

The use of white marble in the main portion of the "U" gives a very light feel.  It's not dark and heavy like many state capitols that we have visited.  The "U" was built in three stages with the two separate wings coming first and the piece connecting the two wings.

The exterior of the Capitol uses buff Indiana limestone and the dome on top is 293-feet tall which is five feet taller than the dome of the United States Capitol.  The tastefully ornate dome is covered in copper and gold leaf.  There is an eagle on the top of the 25-foot spire.  We enjoyed the simplicity and elegance of the design of the Capitol Building and the senate chamber.  The legislative chambers are currently closed to remodeling and we weren't able to see those.

War Memorial

Rotunda Dome

Carvings on the ceiling representing tree leaves of WV

Czechoslovakian Crystal Chandalier

Senate chamber

Dome from second floor

Rotunda Christmas Tree

Christmas Decoration

White Marble

Almost Heaven, West Virginia Photo Spot

Front of the Capitol Building

We took the 2-mile walk back to the car on a trail along the river.  We enjoyed seeing the houses along the way and the friendliness of the people we met.  Then it was off to Independence Kentucky and visit with my niece, her husband, and their to precious daughters.

Across from the capitol

Historic markers line the river walk

The governor's mansion

Historic house along the river walk