Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee
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The Florida capitol is an architecturally and historically significant building. Sometimes called "The Old Capitol", the Historic Capitol, built in 1845, was threatened with demolition in the late 1970s when the new capitol building was built. Having been restored to its 1902-version in 1982, the Historic Capitol is located directly in front of the new Capitol building. Its restored space includes the Governor's Suite, Supreme Court, House of Representatives and Senate chambers, rotunda, and halls. Its adapted space contains a museum exhibiting the state's political history.
Tallahassee was named Florida's capital in 1824, midway between the then-largest cities in the state, St. Augustine and Pensacola. The first territorial government met in log cabins. A capitol building was constructed in 1826 but never completely finished. It was torn down in 1839 to make room for the erection of the present structure, which was completed in 1845, just prior to Florida’s entry into the United States as the 27th state. Several additions to the historic capitol have been made throughout the years.
The 1902 Capitol building was the last statehouse in which all of Florida's political business was housed under one roof. A decade later, the Florida Supreme Court moved into its own building. Florida's current Supreme Court building is located to the west of the Capitol building.
The capitol was built according to the signature style of "Neoclassicism" of Edward Durell Stone. It has an ornate grill surrounding a white-columned box. The design symbolized the growth and development of Florida.
The Capitol is usually referred to as a twenty-two story building with a height of 345 feet. However, including the 3 underground floors, it is a 25 story building (6th floor is only accessible through the freight elevator).
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