Philadelphia architect and engineer William Strickland (1788–1854) envisioned, and then designed, the circa 1859 Greek Revival building in Nashville that serves as the Tennessee state Capitol. At about 206 feet in height, the statehouse resembles a white monolith on the top of downtown Nashville’s tallest hill. The solid stone foundation of the building is seven feet thick. The structure was originally constructed entirely of Tennessee-quarried limestone.
The three-story design adheres to the Greek Revival style Ionic order, one of three classical architectural focuses (the other two being Doric and Corinthian) defined by mid-sized columns. The columns are adorned with a treatment called egg and dart, consisting of egg-shaped carved moldings alternating with V-shaped carved moldings.