The Maine State House in Augusta was designed by Charles Bulfinch of Boston. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1829, and the first legislative session was held on January 4, 1832. The original design resembles the Massachusetts State House, and the text names no style.
The walls are Maine granite from the Hallowell quarry. The building was about 150 feet (46 m) long and was extended to 300 feet (91 m) in a 1909 and 1910 remodeling by G. Henri Desmond. That work added a copper dome 185 feet (56 m) high, topped by a gilt copper statue of Minerva. The Bulfinch front, with its columns, was preserved.
It is the only known Bulfinch work with a complete surviving set of architectural drawings. The dome copper was replaced in 2014 for 1.2 million dollars. It was listed on the National Register in 1973. The Maine Legislature and the governor's office meet there. The article gives no hours.
Comments