Oklahoma State Capitol Totally Explained

Everything about The Oklahoma State Capitol totally explained

The Oklahoma State Capitol, located in Oklahoma City, is the seat of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma and the location of the chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.
   Together with the surrounding government buildings and agencies and state museums, the area centred at N. Lincoln Blvd and N.E. 23rd Street forms the Oklahoma State Capitol Complex, complete with capitol park and the governor's mansion.
   The Capitol Complex shouldn't be confused with the Capitol Hill neighborhood, located on Oklahoma City's south side.
   The state capitol grounds are famous for active oil wells located there (Oklahoma City sits directly on top of the Oklahoma City Oil Field) and remains the only state capitol with oil rigs on the property.

History

The First Capitol

Oklahoma's first capitol was located in the city of Guthrie. At noon on April 22, 1889 cannons sounded the start of the Oklahoma land run. In only six hours about 10,000 people had settled in what would soon become the capitol of Oklahoma Territory. Within only months Guthrie became a modern brick and stone "Queen of the Prairie" with municipal water, electricity, a mass transit system and underground parking garages for horses and carriages. Without the protection of the federal government, Oklahoma's newly established government became part of political battle on where the capitol should be located. In the middle of the night, on June 11, 1910, the state seal was taken form Guthrie and moved to Oklahoma City, the new and present state capitol.

The Second Capitol

A relocated capitol was originally slated to be built in the Warr Acres community far from downtown Oklahoma City. The proposal called for the capitol to front NW 39th Street. However, after three years of consideration, support moved to build the capitol at its present Oklahoma City site. Manhattan Construction Company began construction of the relocated Capitol on July 20, 1914 under the direction of Governor Lee Cruce. It was delivered to the state on July 1, 1917 though it wasn't finished until 1919. The completed building had over 400,000 square feet (37,000 m²) in six floors

Crowning the Capitol

The original plans called for the capitol building to feature a dome (similar to most state capitols); however, budget constraints and a shortage of building materials due to World War I prevented construction on the dome. Constructing the dome was revived in the 1990s following a feasibility study and completion of a 2007 Oklahoma Centennial projects master plan. In July 2000, Governor Frank Keating announced that a dome would be constructed to complete the capitol building at a cost of $21 million. The dome was to stand 155 feet (47 m) high with a 17 foot (5 m) tall bronze Native American statue on top of the dome, in honor of Oklahoma's Native American heritage. Master artist Enoch Kelly Haney (formerly an Oklahoma State Senator and later Chief of the Seminole Nation) created "The Guardian" statue that stands on top of the dome designed by Frankfurt-Short-Bruza. Manhattan Construction Company and Flintco, Inc. worked to build the dome to historical specifications. A dome raising ceremony was held June 20, 2001, and construction began in August 2001.
The dome was completed and dedicated on Oklahoma's Statehood Day, November 16, 2002.

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