North Dakota has enjoyed two statehouses, the first being burnt to the ground in 1930. The second and present Capitol was completed in 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression. It is 21 stories tall and is an Art Deco skyscraper and the tallest building in North Dakota. It is known as the skyscraper on the Prairie.
It holds the paintings of recipients of the formal honor of contributing to the social fabric of North Dakota. Such as Lawrence Welk.
and Angie Dickinson . There is no requirement to be born in North Dakota however the person needs to have lived there for a period of time.
The Art Deco theme is throughout the building. The materials for the floor and walls were sourced from surrounding counties and states. The ceilings are 40 ft tall and the lights weight 1,000 lbs each.
The Crest is situated between to large columns.
The rotating entries depict the different agricultural aspects of the State.
The elevators are decorated to shown the industries in North Dakota.
American wood is used throughout the building. This wood is located in the Monkey Room which is the private entry to the State Attorney General's Office. The wood in the room comes from one tree and it is believed that this is the only surviving wood from the trees. It's called the Monkey Room because if you look closely you maybe able to see the face of a monkey and other animals.
Wood has been used to provide sitting areas whereby the person can sit and read uninterrupted owing to the curving of the wood.
The Capitol provides offices for the Governor of North Dakota and two chambers of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly, the North Dakota Supreme Court . This is the Supreme Court.
This is the Senate.
This is the House of Reps. The building also provides offices for all state agencies in the one building.
The view from the 18th floor provides a great view of the surrounding areas.
It is interesting to note that when this building was erected it was considered to be "out in the sticks', and there were no trees to be seen.
Bismarck is a very friendly and interesting place to visit.
Cheers, Beverley and Ross
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