Renovations at the Capitol

If you work or live near the State Capitol you have probably seen all of the scaffolding and construction work that has been going on this summer and fall. According to Legislative Council, the exterior work includes roof work, gutter replacement, and the re-creation — using old plans and drawings — of historic chimneys that were removed some time ago. Inside, there is a great deal of work going on as well, including renovations of some of the committee rooms and the basement. Historic mouldings and archways are being uncovered as part of the project. For details on the work that is going on through 2018, see the Legislative Council’s LegiSource blog post, which includes some great pictures of the renovations.

The current renovations follow the highly-praised restorations of the House and Senate Chambers over the last several years. Work on the chambers included removal of 1950s acoustic tiles, recreation of historic wall stencilings, and restoration of the huge chandeliers as well as the stained glass windows and skylights. See the Capitol Building’s historic structure assessment here.
To learn more about preservation and restoration of the Capitol, see the webpage for the General Assembly’s Capitol Building Advisory Committee as well as the Office of the State Architect’s Capitol Complex Master Plan. For the history of the State Capitol Building, check out the following books from our library:

• Art of the House: Paintings in the House of Representatives, State Capitol, Denver, Colorado (1990)
• The Colorado Capitol Building (1960)
• Colorado Capitol Buildings (1941)
• Colorado State Capitol (1983, 1992)
• The Colorado State Capitol: History, Politics, Preservation (2005)
• Visitor’s Guide to Colorado’s Capitol (1990, 1991, 1994, 2004, and 2005 editions)