Chap. 7. 



POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



131 



PROGRESS OF THE WORK. 



EXPENSE OF BUIEDINft. 



next legislattire, recommending tlie adop- 

 tion of an improved finisli for the building, 

 and moi-e in accordance with tlieir views, 

 but whicli would make the cost of the 

 building about ^'84,000. 



The superintendent entered on his duties 

 in February?, 1833, at Montpclier, and en- 

 gaged Mr. You)ig, the architect who drew 

 the plans, &c. to superintend the carrying 

 of them into execution. All tiie necessary 

 contracts for lumber, brick, stone, labor, 

 &c. were made during the winter, and 

 April 1st, 1833, the excavations for the 

 foundations, site, «.V.c., were commenced. 

 The foundations of the building lie en- 

 tirely on a ledge of rocks, which in some 

 places had to be removed to the depth of 

 25 feet to afford the proper level, and in 

 others was so low as to require a wall of 

 rough stone work of 20 feet in height. 

 The work was pursued with vigor through 

 the season, 3'et owing to the immense la- 

 bor of removing the ledge of rocks for the 

 site, only the foundations were laid and 

 in condition to receive the hammered 

 granite, most of whith, for the body of 

 the building, was wrought and delivered. 

 The lumber for the building was also de- 

 livered, and every thing in connection 

 with the business progressed with the ut- 

 most harmony and satisfaction. When 

 the report of the committee, who prepared 

 the plans for the building, came before 

 the legislature' at their session in 1833, 

 the subject had another full and perfect 

 examination ; the doings of the committee 

 were approved, and directions given to 

 have all their views carried out in the 

 most perfect manner, and another appro- 

 priation of !|i20,000 was made towards the 

 object. During the next season the walls 

 of the building were erected, the frame of 

 the roof put on, and further excavations 

 on the site carried on. The legislature in 

 the fall made anotlier appropriation of 

 ,$2.5,000 for the object, and during the 

 succeeding season the works were carried 

 on with activity, and good progress made 

 towards finishing the interior. In the fall 

 of 1835 the legislature appropriated "the 

 further sum of )?!30,000 towards comple- 

 ting and furnishing the house, graduating 

 the yard and making a fence around it." 

 During the season of 183G, the building 

 was mostly completed except the portico: 

 the several halls and rooms were in ])art 

 furnished with good and appropriate fur- 

 niture, so that at their fall session, the 

 legislature were enabled to occupy it, but 

 owing to a misunderstanding between the 

 superintendent and architect in relation 

 to the design for finishing the yard and 

 grounds, little or nothing was done in re- 

 lation to them during that season. 



At the session of 183G, the legislature 

 decided, that the services of ttie superin- 

 tendent might be dispensed with, and 

 passed an act, making it " the duty of the 

 governor to appoint some suitable person 

 duly qualified as an architect, to superin- 

 tend the completion of the state house, 

 and to procure such additional furniture 

 as may be needed to furnish the same, fo 

 lay out and finish the yard and grounds 

 around the house, and who shall super- 

 sede the committee heretofore appointed" 

 to superintend tlie erection of said house, 

 "and fulfil and perform all the duties in- 

 cumbent on said committee." Agreeably 

 to the provisions of the said act, the gov- 

 ernor appointed Ammi B.Young, Esq. (the 

 architect who had made all the plans and 

 superintended their execution) to that of- 

 fice. The lesrislatnre made another ap- 

 propriation of ^r;25,000 to carry on the 

 work the next year, during which the 

 building Vi'as all completed and furjiished, 

 and the grounds and yard nearly finished. 

 At their session of 1837, the legislature 

 made a further appropriation of ^3,500 to 

 complete the yard and grounds, and pre- 

 vious to the session of 1838 the whole was 

 finished, having been about 5^ years in 

 its erection. On the settlement with the 

 superintendent, it was finnid that the 

 building, grounds, yard, furniture, &c. 

 had cost the sum of $132,077,23, from 

 which deduct the $ir),()()0 paid by Monl- 

 pelier, leaves |il]7,077,23 as the sum paid 

 by the state ; this deducted from $118,500, 

 the whole amount appropriated, left in 

 the treasury $1,422,77 of the appropria- 

 tions not e.xpended. 



The building stands on nn elevated site, 

 about 325 feet north of State street, on 

 which it fronts, and is about 35 feet above 

 the level of it. The entrance to the 

 grounds, and ]irincipal approach to the 

 house from that street, is noble and com- 

 manding; the g:itewa3's, the fence, tiie 

 grounds, and all tlieir details are in keep- 

 ing with the building, and assist in giving 

 to it that consideration it should have, as 

 the capitol of a flourishing, independent 

 state. The building is very neat and sim- 

 ple in its design, a ]nire architectural char- 

 acter is preserved throughout; this, com- 

 bined with the convenience of interior ar- 

 rangement, and the permanency of its 

 construction, renders it a structure of 

 more merit than any other in New Eng- 

 land. It is in form of a cross, shewing in 

 front a centre 72 feet broad, ornamented 

 with a projecting portico of six columns, 

 () feet in diameter, of the Grecian Dorick 

 order, with its proper entablature and 

 pediment extending the whole width of 

 the centre, and two wings each 'i'J feet, 



