Nebraska State Capitol - History

History

The building succeeds two capitols of the Nebraska Territory in Omaha, both built in the 1850s, before Nebraska was admitted to the Union in 1867; and two state capitols, completed in 1868 and 1889, that had structural problems. The 1889 building was a classical design by the architect William H. Willcox.

The legislature authorized the Capitol Commission to be responsible for the construction of the building. The commission included the governor, the state engineer, and three commissioners appointed by the governor. The appointed commissioners were W. E. Hardy of Lincoln, W. H. Thompson of Grand Island, and Walter W. Head of Omaha. Samuel R. McKelvie, Charles W. Bryan, Adam McMullen and Arthur J. Weaver each chaired the commission as governor.

The architectural competition program was written by Omaha architect Thomas R. Kimball, then president of the American Institute of Architects. The competition guidelines were innovative because they did not define plan, style, or material for the building. The program did specify, however, that they wanted an architect who would assemble a team (including sculpture, painter, and landscapist) to create a unified appearance. The Commission chose well-known architects to enter the competition anonymously for a three-judge panel. Firms competing included Paul Cret and Zantzinger, Borie and Medary; McKim, Mead, and White; H. Van Buren Magonigle; John Russell Pope; John Latenser & Sons; and Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Goodhue was selected as the winner. His design exemplified the Classical principles of austerity, abstract geometrical form, and hierarchical arrangements of parts, but did not use columns, pediment, or dome.

The capitol is often considered the first major expression of what has been termed Goodhue's "freely interpreted classical style". The cross-axial plan is similar to a traditional Catholic church or cathedral. The building's four wings radiate from a central domed rotunda, architecturally separating the parts of government. The unarticulated windows and flat surfaces anticipate modern skyscrapers. It is also the first U.S. state capitol with usable tower space.