Alabama State Capitol: Proud of Its Classic Style

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we see distinctiveness that is apparent in this 173-year-old edifice.

Besides its white painted dome, six columns, and distinct clock, the most distinguishing aspect of the Alabama’s State Capitol is its wide marble staircase. It was added in the 1950s to replace a narrow set of concrete steps that were installed in the late 1800s. Terraced, marble planters complement the entrance staircase and add symmetry to the setting. Alabama Historical Commission

An impressive neoclassical portico is the signature architectural statement of the state Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. Similar to capitol buildings in other states, Alabama’s is perched on a hill overlooking the city.

What is distinct about the original center-block main building, completed in 1851, is that it was designed not by one architect but by a committee, led by industrialist Daniel Pratt (Barachias Holt was the supervising architect). The group determined that the architectural style would be Greek Revival. When east, south, and north wings and other additions were built through the 1800s and 1900s, the style throughout was meant to complement the neoclassical style.

Primarily, the exterior and interior present simple geometric spaces with classic Greek columns. It is 350 feet wide and a little longer than a football field, with its dome height about a third of its length, at 119 feet. Although the structure appears to be made of marble or stone, it was actually constructed of brick and is stuccoed and scored.

Currently, the Alabama Capitol building is considered a working museum in that it is maintained as a combination of rooms full of historic artifacts that are open to the public, as well as working government offices.

Beneath the majestic, fluted, classical Corinthian columns that form the portico stood two historically significant figures in Alabama’s history: Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered a speech titled “How Long? Not Long” to an audience of about 25,000 people here. An ornate balcony above the doorway of the Capitol’s entrance is made of wrought iron. Paul Brady Photography/Shutterstock

The prominent clock situated above the Capitol’s dome was donated by the Montgomery City Council in 1852 because citizens had expressed interest in a clock that could be seen and heard from all over the Alabama city. Made in Boston, the clock presents a Greek Revival style, with large black clock dials 10 feet high and Roman numerals as its standout feature. Initially operated with weights and a pendulum, the clock was electrified in 1934. Between the clock and the dome still exists the 2,500-pound bronze clock bell, which has long been silent. The historic clock is set off by its own pediment-topped frame. Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

Horace King, a notable free black contractor, completed much of the Capitol’s interior carpentry work in the original building, including this staircase. Constructed of walnut and mahogany, the staircase sports a fleur-de-lis decorative design beneath each tread. The staircase is cantilevered, which means the construction components that secure the stairs are hidden so that it has a floating appearance. Alabama Historical Commission

The original interior of the Capitol’s dome was whitewashed and plain, but an early 20th-century renovation gave the rotunda space ornate moldings and cornices and a stained-glass skylight. Then, during the late 1920s, eight large murals showcasing important points in Alabama’s history were painted and installed with mixed media on canvas by Scottish-born artist Roderick Mackenzie, who maintained a studio in Mobile, Ala. Nagel Photography/Shutterstock

Although it no longer houses important policy, law, and history books, the Capitol’s Supreme Court Library space maintains its impressiveness. Originally, a two-tiered bookshelf area in the room’s center was connected by a stairway at the west end of the room so that politicians and attorneys could peruse important books. Remaining are the slender, cast-iron, fluted column supports and multiple blown-glass and bronze lighting fixtures. The simple mantels spaced throughout are evidence of how the room was heated with logs or coal. Windows were strategically placed for cross ventilation during hot and humid Alabama summers. Alabama Historical Commission

The prominent features of this pre-Civil War era governmental space are the decorative moldings affixed to the ceiling and a black Egyptian marble mantel on either side of podium. The gallery railings are cast iron, and the Corinthian-style columns are wooden, even though they are painted to appear bronzed. Overhead is an impressive etched glass-globed, crystal, and bronze chandelier. Alabama Historical Commission

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