SPRINGFIELD, Illinois -- With the state legislature on spring break, we had no difficulty finding a parking space along the curb on the street running along the side of the Illinois State Capitol about 250 feet from the building.  After feeding the meter a very reasonable $1.00 in quarters for two hours, we entered the building around 10 a.m.  Security screening was competently conducted by two friendly Illinois state troopers, who directed us into a walk-through metal detector after we deposited our bags and pocket contents into plastic trays for x-ray screening.

“What’s up with all the tools?” the x-ray operator asked me.  After my befuddled response, he realized that the machine had repeated the image of the previous visitor’s bag before showing mine.

Then he related a story about a grandmother from Minnesota who came in with her young grandson.  Screeners noticed what looked like a brass knuckle in her bag.  That turned out to be a Caribou Coffee carabiner shaped like a moose, but that was only the beginning of their discoveries.  The lad was carrying a small stick and asked if he could take it in.  No.  Ultimately, the troopers found that sweet granny was carrying a switchblade knife and a long pipe wrench in her coat.  Both, of course, were confiscated, and in the pair walked, leaving security to wonder what contingencies the Minnesotans had been preparing themselves for.

Front of the capitol building, facing east

The nine-acre tract where the capitol sits had been donated to the state of Illinois in 1865 to serve as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, but Mrs. Lincoln preferred the quieter atmosphere at Oak Ridge Cemetery for her husband’s tomb.  Still in state hands, the site was deemed ideal for the new seat of government.

Begun in 1868, the Illinois State Capitol was designed by a Chicago architectural firm in a style variously described as Second Empire or French Renaissance.  By the time of its completion, twenty years later, costs had accumulated to $4.5 million dollars, well over the original budget.

In 2011-13, the west wing of the Illinois capitol underwent a major renovation and restoration, updating infrastructure systems, moving utilities underground, and bringing the building into compliance with ADA requirements.  At the same time, that wing was restored to the original Victorian splendor envisioned by the building architect and subsequently covered over in the interest of changing tastes in décor.  Completed during a period when the state was suffering serious pension fund shortfalls, the much-maligned $50 million project has won awards for its authenticity and attention to detail.

Restored former Supreme Court room, now used for meetings

Now the state has only three more wings to go.  And the north and south wings are twice the size of the west.  One particular sore point in the west wing project centered around three sets of double entrance doors on the west side of the building.  Built of wood, the exterior of the doors was clad in copper—for authenticity and longevity, the architect said.  For $670,000, said the maker of the custom doors.

Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in front of  Illinois statehouse

In front of the Illinois capitol are statues of arguably its two most noted statesmen—Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln, both of whom began their political careers in Springfield.  Originally the two likenesses were to be placed in twin towers on the front of the building, but a shortage of funding brought the two rivals back down to earth.  Though Lincoln’s image is featured more prominently, Douglas stands much closer to the statehouse, a metaphor for their political careers.  Second statues of each are in the rotunda, along with those of other notable Illinois political figures.

The Grand Staircase

At the base of the grand staircase are two classically-draped bronze maidens holding light fixtures aloft.  These figures were designed by the capitol’s original architect for this location.  However, nineteenth century decision makers found what they considered scantily-clad maidens a bit too risqué for Illinois sensibilities.  Neighboring Iowa was building their own new statehouse by then, with the same architect in charge and designed as a three-quarter size duplicate of the Illinois building.  When the statues were rejected in Springfield, Iowa grabbed up the ornamentation at a bargain rate.  Fast forward 140 years, and the Illinois restoration team approached Iowa about buying back the maidens.  When Des Moines flatly refused, a St. Louis firm was hired to conduct elaborate 3-D laser scans and duplicate the fixtures for the Illinois statehouse—at a cost of $79,000 each, considerably more than the originals, to be sure.
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Clark in Kaskaskia

Governors' portraits line this 2nd floor corridor.