Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg

One of the best benefits of RVing full time, is that it feels like we’re always on vacation. We perpetually play “tourist”. So, though we have been in Harrisburg before, we wanted to revisit the Pennsylvania State Capitol. And it was the perfect place for us to stop because it was about halfway between Wellsburg WV and Hatfield PA.

Because we travel and live in Ladybug, our RV, we get to visit every place we want to go and stay as long as we want. We also NEVER have to go through long security lines at airports. Nor do we ever have to pack and unpack. We get to enjoy our own comfy bed, Egyptian cotton sheets and plush oversized bath sheets. And we get to play tourist, even when we are in our home state. We both take tons of photos that I love sharing with all of you.

Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg

The Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg is one of those artistic complexes that entice you to photograph take lots of photos. It’s a priceless artistic and architectural gem. It’s also an iconic symbol of democracy and freedom and of power and history.

Building history

When the building was dedicated on October 4, 1906, attendee President Theodore Roosevelt called it the handsomest building he’d ever seen. The Capitol was designed by Philadelphia architect Joseph Huston. His vision for the American Renaissance style building was that it should be a “Palace of Art.” In my opinion, he achieved his goal.

The PA Capitol is gorgeous! It was build and outfitted for $13 million. The paintings, stained glass and furnishings were created by the best artisans of the time. There are various Renaissance designs in some of the largest rooms. You will find Italian influence in the House Chamber, French in the Senate and English in the Governor’s Reception Room. But you will also find Greek, Roman and Victorian impact in the art and other adornment. But the Capitol is certainly American. Throughout the building the architect merged the various styles with motifs that feature Pennsylvania’s accomplishments in industry, labor and history.

Facade and roof

The 5 story facade of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg, is made of Vermont granite and the roof is made up of green glazed terra cotta tile. But the incredible centerpiece of the Capitol is the awesome 272-foot, 52 million pound dome, that was inspired by Michelangelo’s design for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Atop this dome stands a 14.5-foot gilded statue that is officially called Commonwealth. But her nickname is Miss Penn and the Spirit of the Commonwealth. Some others call her Letitia after William Penn’s daughter, who was assumed to be the inspiration for the statue.

The seat of Pennsylvania’s government continues to be a symbol of the Commonwealth’s founder, William Penn. It continues to inspire visitors with its abundance of art, its stunning architecture and its strong connection to his vision of wanting to establish a land that would be governed by just laws and tolerant of all religious faiths.

Veteran’s Memorial Obelisk

“There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves; nothing that reminds us of the ones who made the journey and of those who did not make it. There is no suitable memorial, or plaque, or wreath, or wall, or park, or skyscraper lobby. There’s no 300-foot tower, there’s no small bench by the road. There is not even a tree scored, an initial that I can visit or you can visit in Charleston or Savannah or New York or Providence or better still on the banks of the Mississippi. And because such a place doesn’t exist . . . the book had to” (The World, 1989).

The Commonwealth Project

The Commonwealth Project’s goal was to commemorate the anniversaries of the ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which enfranchised African-American men, and the later 19th Amendment in 1920, which extended the vote to women. The project culminated in a dedication of a new monument on August 26, 2020.

A Gathering at the Crossroads is an inspiring monument composed of 4 life-sized bronze statues that represent legendary Pennsylvania orators who visited or resided in Harrisburg in the late 1800s. The four depicted are William Howard Day, the educational reformer and civil rights pioneer; Frances Harper, poet, abolitionist, and suffragette; Jacob T. Compton, sergeant in Company D of the 24th United States Colored Infantry  and local musician; and T. Morris Chester, Civil War correspondent and recruiter. These statues surround a pedestal adorned with molded images of houses, businesses, and churches of the vanished Old Eighth Ward and an inscription recording 100 significant local residents.