State Capitol

Illinois replaced the Old State Capitol with a huge new building. Work on the State Capital, also known as the Statehouse, began in 1868. It wasn’t completed until 1888. When you see the size of the building, try to imagine the difficulty of constructing it without modern machinery.

The dome on top of the Statehouse is 361 feet high. The top of the flagpole is more than 400 feet from the ground. The walls of the building are made of limestone mined in various parts of Illinois.

It takes a tremendous foundation to support a stone building of this size. The foundation is on solid rock 25 feet below ground. From there to the first floor the limestone walls are 17 feet thick.

Statehouse Artwork

As you tour the State Capitol you will see many statues and paintings. Several important statues are on the grounds outside. A statue of Abraham Lincoln stands near the street in front of the building. It includes an inscription of the speech Lincoln gave when he left Springfield to go to Washington, D.C., to become president. A statue of Stephen Douglas, Lincoln’s opponent in the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, stands between the Lincoln statue and the State Capitol’s front steps.

In the rotunda in the center of the Statehouse you will see a statue of a woman with her arms outstretched. The statue is from the world’s fair in Chicago in the 1890s. She represents Illinois welcoming the world.

On the second floor there are several life-size statues, including Lincoln and Douglas, around the walls of the rotunda. You will understand how Douglas received the nickname “Little Giant.” Douglas, just 5’4” tall, was a foot shorter than Lincoln. What an interesting sight they must have been at their debates.

As you go up the large staircase on the west side of the second floor, you will see a painting of George Rogers Clark making a 1778 treaty with the Illini tribe of Native Americans. The painting is 50 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It took the German artist Gustav Fuchs from 1885 to 1889 to paint the picture. He was paid $2,500. The artwork cannot be moved because it is painted directly on the wall.

The House and Senate Chambers

You may get to go into the rooms where the House of Representatives and the Senate meet. If they are in session when you visit, please remember to enter and exit quietly.

The senators and representatives have microphones at their desks so everyone can hear them when they speak. They press buttons on their desks to vote on bills. When it is time, they can vote for a bill, vote against a bill, or vote “present.” The latter vote indicates that the legislator is there but chooses not to vote on that particular bill. Each member’s vote is recorded automatically and is displayed on large scoreboards.

The Senate and House chambers, like the other parts of the Statehouse, are elegant. The walls hold many paintings of former members. In the House you will see those famous two once more. Lincoln’s picture hangs on the right where the Republicans sit, and Douglas hangs on the left where the Democrats sit. In each chamber if you are sitting at the back of the room facing the podium, the Republicans sit on the right and the Democrats sit on the left.

If the House and Senate are in session when you visit, things might appear confusing. Further below is a description of the legislative process, which will help you understand what is happening.

Other Officials in the State Capitol

The governor’s office is located on the second floor. As the chief executive officer of the state, the governor is the “boss” of thousands of state workers who carry out the laws of the state. State employees in Springfield and around the state make sure that we have good roads, good schools, good health and a safe and clean environment.

The Statehouse also holds the main offices of other officials. These include the comptroller who keeps records of the state’s finances and the state treasurer who receives and spends money for the state. The office of the secretary of state, who has many duties including licensing cars and drivers and keeping the State Capitol fixed up, has an office in the building, too.

The lieutenant governor assists the governor and may take over for the governor if necessary. The lieutenant governor’s office also is in the Statehouse, but the attorney general, the state’s top lawyer, has an office across the street in a separate building.

The Three Branches of Government

There are three branches of Illinois government. One is the legislative branch. The Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Its official name is the General Assembly. This branch makes the laws.

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