Statehouse, Georgia

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When James Oglethorpe landed in 1733 he chose the coastal town of Savannah as Georgia's capital. But after the Revolutionary War the capital moved four times: to Augusta in 1786, Louisville in 1796 and Milledgeville in 1897 before permanently settling in Atlanta in 1868. Still reeling from the ravages of the Civil War it was nearly impossible at that time to find funding for a new Capitol. It was not until 1883 that the General Assembly appropriated one million dollars, and on July 4, 1889 Governor John Brown dedicated the building to "the indomitable will and recuperative energies of this great people." The Capitol is styled in the Classical Renaissance design with an Indiana oolitic limestone exterior and a Georgia marble interior. It features a center dome rising 75 feet, covered in native Georgia gold (the original dome was of terra cotta and tin). The cupola above the dome supports a female statue holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other. "Miss Freedom," as she's known, stands 15 feet and weighs 2000 pounds. Facing west, the front facade features a four-story portico with stone pediment supported by six Corinthian columns and engraved in Georgia's coat-of-arms. The interior reflects the Victorian style of its day with classical pilasters and oak paneling. The Rotunda is flanked by two wings, each with a grand staircase and three-story atrium crowned by clerestory windows that cast varying beams of light across the floor as the sun makes its way westward. The Georgia Capitol was one of the earliest public buildings with elevators, central heat, and electric lights. More info on: www.postcardsfrom.com

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