H.R. No. 1161
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Texas State Capitol is 125 years old in 2013, and
this special anniversary represents a fitting opportunity to
celebrate a truly unique Texas landmark; and
WHEREAS, The fourth capitol building in Austin, it is a
striking example of Renaissance Revival architecture that was
modeled on the U.S. Capitol and financed by a grant of three million
acres of land in the Panhandle; it is constructed out of red granite
quarried in Burnet County and transported to Austin by a specially
built narrow-gauge railway; and
WHEREAS, The project's final feature, a statue of the Goddess
of Liberty, was placed atop the dome on February 26, 1888, and on
April 21, the Capitol was opened to the public for the first time;
it contained 392 rooms, 18 vaults, 924 windows, and 404 doors; the
furnishings for the house and senate chambers were installed in
1889; and
WHEREAS, Over the next century, the Capitol was frequently
updated and renovated; impressive paintings of the battles of the
Alamo and San Jacinto were installed in the early 1900s, a post
office opened in the building in 1908, and in 1922, an
electronically controlled voting apparatus was set up in the house
chamber; throughout the years, monuments to Texas cowboys, war
veterans, and Tejano pioneers have been among the statues situated
on the Capitol's grounds; and
WHEREAS, In February 1983, a fire severely damaged the
Capitol's East Wing and led to the creation of the State
Preservation Board, which developed a master plan for a major
restoration of the building; work began in 1990 for a
665,000-square-foot underground annex, and over the next seven
years, the Capitol's exterior, interior, and grounds were
extensively renovated; the Capitol was rededicated on April 21,
1995; and
WHEREAS, Today, the State Capitol serves both as the seat of
government in Texas and as a destination for visitors from across
the state and nation and around the world, who come to appreciate
the building's beauty and dignity and to learn about the
fascinating history of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Texas
State Capitol.
Guillen
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1161 was adopted by the House on April
17, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House