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The 1845 Greek Revival Old Capitol was the third to house Florida government. In 1839, the governor was a presidential appointee. Territorial Governor Richard Keith Call requested and received $20,000 in Congressional funds to construct a "public building." The Florida Territorial Legislature authorized construction of a new Capitol. Cary W. Butt, architect with the firm of Charles Dakin and Brother in Mobile, Alabama, designed the structure.
Butt designed a three-story brick building covered with concrete and entered through a six-columned portico on the second floor. Richard A. Shine, an elected member of the Territorial Legislature and Tallahassee City Council, oversaw construction. Shine modified Butt's plans by substituting the Ionic columns with Doric. In 1841, depleted construction funds forced both houses of the Legislature to convene in the southern wing of the building because the northern wing lacked a roof. As Florida neared fulfilling the requirements of statehood in 1844, Congress appropriated an additional $20,000 for completion. Butt's architectural design stood the test of time, serving as the functional and aesthetic heart of the Capitol through 157 years of expansion, modernization and restoration.
Florida was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845, entering as a slave state paired by Congressional requirements with Iowa, a free state. The first official ceremony at the Capitol on June 25, 1845, was the inauguration of William D. Moseley, Florida's first governor elected by the voting populace.
The building's appearance changed frequently. The exterior was painted white, then off-white, and during the Civil War, sandstone red. In 1891 a new roof and cupola were added. In 1902, 33-year-old Frank Pierce Milburn, an Arkansas native, one of the nation's most prominent architects, was commissioned for renovation and expansion funded by a legislative appropriation of $75,000. Retaining much of the original woodwork, Milburn enclosed 24 fireplaces, installed a steam radiator system, added indoor plumbing and covered the 1845 plasterwork. New east and west porticoes featured tympana representing the state seal.
Under a neo-Classical dome, Milburn placed a multicolored interior stained-glass dome. Electricity was new and available only from private sources six hours a day. Milburn installed brass light fixtures featuring both electric bulbs and gas lamps in order to illuminate the governmental workday. The renovated Capitol was dedicated December 10, 1902.
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