Welcome! In this episode of the statehouse series we will travel to the southern state of Florida.

Everybody has heard of Florida’s great climate, beautiful scenery, and access to beaches at both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, but not many know about Florida’s capitol buildings. The old capitol building was built in 1845, and it has had several additions since then. In 1902, the dome was constructed by architect Frank Millburn and was the first main addition. The next major expansion came in 1923 with the addition of two wings and a marble interior, with the help of Henry Klutho. Then another two wings were added, with the House wing finished in 1936 and the Senate wing in 1947.

As the population in Florida grew, so did the need for government services. The local government had outgrown the old building. Construction on the new capitol was authorized to start in 1972.

In the late 70s, the Old Capitol came under threat of demolition because the new one was being built behind it. Through the action of Florida citizens, the Old Capitol was saved and resorted to its 1902 appearance, which took four years (1978-1982). The Old Capitol has since been turned into a museum and office for the Florida Legislative Research Center, which keeps all legislative history for the state of Florida.

The New Capitol contains a House and Senate building and twenty-two story executive offices. Both wings have domes. The building contains the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame on the northern rotunda and the Artist’s Hall of Fame. Visit Tour the Florida Capitol to learn more about the history, artwork, and virtual tours!

Thanks for joining us on our historic tour of Florida’s statehouse. Be sure to visit again when we explore yet another capitol!

Photo of the Old and New Florida State Capitols by Infrogmation on Wikimedia Commons.