Texana Thursday: 5 Interesting Facts about the State Capitol

1. The Texas Capitol is taller than the U.S. Capitol.

It’s been said that everything is bigger and better in Texas. Surely this is the case with the Capitol building. According to the Texas State Preservation Board, the Texas Capitol is 302.64 feet tall, which is 14.64 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol, which is 288 feet tall.

Workers pose with the Goddess of Liberty statue, 1888 (Texas State Preservation Board photo)

2. The Goddess of Liberty statue atop the Capitol is a replica of the original.

Workers placed the original Goddess of Liberty statue atop the Capitol in 1885. Its features were exaggerated so they could be seen from a distance. A famous photo of the workers posing with the statue exists today.

In 1985, the statue was removed from its perch as part of an overall Capitol restoration. It had seen better days and it was time for a replacement. The new statue was placed atop the Capitol in 1985.

The original statue was refurbished and placed on display at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

3. The south side of the Capitol is considered to be the front door.

Elijah E. Myers (1832-1909) was the architect of the current state Capitol building, which was completed in 1888. The Civil War had occurred 16 years earlier, and memories of the conflict and Reconstruction period were strong with many Texans. The architecture reflected this attitude, as the south side of the Capitol was more ornate than the north side.

Inaugurations for the governor and lieutenant governor are held every four years on the south side of the Capitol.

Myers also was the architect for the Michigan and Colorado state Capitol buildings.

Stephen F. Austin portrait in the Texas Senate chamber (1836)

4. The only portrait that Stephen F. Austin actually sat for is in the Senate chamber.

While many pictures and statues exist of Stephen F. Austin, the man himself sat down for only one portrait, in 1836. It hangs behind the lieutenant governor’s podium in the Senate chamber. The artist is unknown.

5. The San Jacinto battle flag is in the House chamber.

Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The flag flown at that battle was framed and today hangs behind the speaker’s podium in the House chamber. It hangs there only when the legislature is in session, however. The State Preservation Board, in its ongoing efforts to preserve the actual flag, hangs a replica of the flag during the times when the legislature is not in session.