By the time Washington became a state in 1889, its wooden Territorial capitol was in desperate need of replacement. A design competition was held a winning architect chosen in 1894. But no sooner had that foundation of a new capitol been laid than the nation was struck by a devastating economic depression. Work on Washington's capitol stopped almost as soon as it had begun.

As a temporary measure, the State of Washington purchased Thurston County's big courthouse in downtown Olympia and moved its legislators in for the session of 1905. That building, still known as the Old Capitol, served as the seat of state government for nearly 25 years.

It was not until 1911 that a new design competition was held for a permanent capitol. This time architects were instructed to sketch a "capitol group" of buildings instead of tying to squeeze state government under a single roof. The winning proposal, by architects Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White of New York, called for a half-dozen Neoclassical structures clustered around a central domed hall - all appearing from down below as one great Acropolis.

The Temple of Justice (1917), home of the State Supreme Court, and the Insurance Building (1921) were the first two buildings completed on the new Capitol Campus. But the grand centerpiece of the Capitol Group is the soaring Legislative Building (1928), a monumental landmark of columns and hand-carved friezes. Six cast-bronze doors weighing five tons apiece, each one bearing a different scene from Washington's past, open into a sumptuous world of polished marble and plaster ceilings. It's a building that speaks of government as a noble and serious business. It also clinched Olympia's status as state capital. Once Washington had invested in a permanent Capitol Campus, there would be no more talk of moving state government away to another town.

The Capitol Group of buildings designed by Wilder and White stand in 12 acres of grounds designed by the famous Olmsted Brothers. With a view that sweeps across Capitol Lake and over the waters of Puget Sound, it remains one the of the loveliest capitol settings in the United States.

A stark concrete campus extension was built on the east side of Capitol Way during the late 1960s. Later expansion of state offices has occurred, for the most part, away from the historic Capitol Group.

The Washington State Capitol Group is located on Capitol Way at 14th Avenue SW. It is listed as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as on the Washington State Register. The Capitol Campus is open to the public and free guided tours of the Legislative Building are offered daily. Tours of the grounds and of other buildings, including the Governor's Mansion, may be also be available. For more information call the State Capitol Visitor Center at (360) 586-8687.

Legislative Building. Olympia Heritage Commission photo.

Legislative and Insurance buildings in the 1930s. Postcard from private collection.