And its something we take pride in and we work to make sure that both marylanders and people in the entire nation know the significance of the building. Welcome to the new york state capitol. Here atop the state street hill in albany this amundsoning building has serve as a center for the new york State Government since the mid19th century. The capitol took 32 years to build, starting in 1867 and deemed completed in 1899 by governor Theodore Roosevelt. Construction materials such as granite and marble came from all over the country and all over the world. Five architects worked on the building. It reflects the different architectural styles. Were standing on the eastern approach. This stairway contains 77 steps and were sold the 77 was chosen to kmemright the year 1777 when new york became a state. The stairway is also important in the history of this building because its said that governor Theodore Roosevelt used to run up the steps and he would challenge reporters if they could keep up with him he would grant them an exclusive interview. At the topic see carvings of henry hudson, and joseph brandt. Now its lodgele that henry hudson might appear on the new york state capital since it was hudson to came to albany, discovered it in 1609. Joseph brandt were fallout sure why he is there. A native american who fought against the americans during the revolutionary war. But you can see the capitol is a marvel of stone cashing and we will talk more about that when we go inside. Were standing in the capitols hall of governors. This is a historic place. There are por traits of the 51 of the governors hanging outside the executive chamber. The tradition of the governor por traits began in 1813 when the state leather commissioned a portrait of the first governor. Since then it has proceeded whereby families and friends of the governors pay for or commission the por traits. And as you walk along you can see nelson rockefeller, william surd on the wall behind my over the door who was abraham lincolns secretary of state during the simple where. Grover cleveland who went on to become the president , Theodore Roosevelt who went on to become president. Marten van buren and Franklin Dell know roosevelt all new york state governors who became president. I think that certainly Franklin Dell know roosevelt had an incredible impact on new york state. He came back into Public Service after being a state senator and then contracting polio at 39 but encouraged by wife and friends to run for governor. That of course led to the presidency during an incredible time in americas history, the world war ii and the great depression. Grover cleveland went quickly from being mayor of buffalo to governor in 1884, and then on to the presidency. Where he was the only president to serve two times with an interruption in the middle. Marten van buren of course was governor in 1828. And was from in area actually. And his home is lyndon weld is not far from here. This was tlfs one governor impeached and he was governor in 1913. Governor selzer. In retrospect it might have been a set up. There was a trial and after the impeachment his supporters went to the executive mansion and evidently trampled muddy boots on the furniture. He didnt leave the governorship with a good reputation. He was impeached because he was elected with the support of tamny hall which was a political in machine notorious. But once in office he decided to stand on his own and do his own thing. Taminy hall looked into Campaign Finances and found small irregularities but enough to get him in impeached. When we look back today we might see a different story but thats what happened. Were standing in the executive chamber, the governors official office or ceremonial office. In 1882 when the room was opened it was used as the Governors Office but found to be kind of large and imposing. So by 1884 governor cleveland decided not to use the room. He was the last governor to use it as an everyday office. And there are some interesting stories about it, one about Franklin Dell know roosevelt who of course had polio when he was governor. He had a little door carved into the mahogany wall so he could take the elevator up from his car to his Office Without having to use a wheelchair. It was just a way for him to keep his privacy and not encourage questions and that kind of thing from the public. Were standing in the new york state assembly. This room opened in 1979 was designed by architect leopold tp eidlitz. It had at 56 foot vaulted ceiling. One of the tallest attempted. After ten years the ceiling was failing and assemblymen were finding chunks of stone on the desks. They unfortunately had to replace the ceiling. When they did that they also covered up murals that had been painted by William Morris hunt, a famous artist. There was no alternative. They built a lower ceiling of mahogany and paper mache. That came in handily when there was a fire in 1911 as the fire came to the assembly the paper mache got wet and luckily helped stop the fire. Today the ceiling reflects that occurred after the fire. Its mahogany and some kind of a ceiling tile. But the room is still grand and i think is filled with the kind of gothic architecture that Leopold Eidlitz favored. Whoa you look at the columns they look a little bit cut off because they are meant to sustain the huge 56foot tall ceiling. One of the most notable representatives or assemblymen was Theodore Roosevelt who serve here. When he started as an assemblyman he was graduated from college from a wealth family and because he was a college boy, kind of a dandy he soon proved that he was a lot tougher than he tookd looked. There was a story about being in a committee meeting. And the taminy hall gang was coming up to him as he was read ago bill in order to get it on the record. And as he kept talking and they kept coming toward him he reached down and picked up a chair leg and put it on the table in front of him. I think they backed off after that. So t. R. Was certainly one of our most famous assemblymen. Another thing that happened to him while in the assembly in 1884 on the same day he lost his wife and his mother, his first wife and mother. And after that, you know, wrenching loss he left public for a while and went out west to become a rancher. Were standing on the steps of what might be called the centerpiece of the new york state capitol, the Great Western staircase or the Million Dollar staircase which is what it cost, quite a bit of money in the 19th century. The staircase was built by issac perry. And it was from stone from scotland and it is a miracle of carving. There are 77 famous faces include people like abraham lincoln, ulyssess s. Grant and then there are many, many faces of people who we know nothing, called the capitol unknowns, thought to be friends and family of the stone carvers. Stone carvers were very important in the construction of this building, especially the staircase. They worked 10hour days, were paid 5 a day for that which was a good wage at that time. And most of them came from the briti britishizeles, scotland and ireland and england. The staircase opened in 1898. It had taken 14 years to construct. By the time it opened the capitol had gotten electricity. So the lights behind me were electric lights when the staircase was actually inaugurated. This is also a good place to talk about the beginnings of the capitol, how it began and the famous architects who worked on it. Because after the civil war, when the state decided it needed a larger and new capitol, a Design Contest was held. And the winner was a canadian. His fame was Thomas Fuller and he game up with a gorgeous design for the building which included a large dome. Ten years later he had gotten only as far as two exterior walls. So mr. Fuller moved on, and he was replaced by henry hobz richardson, a very well phone architect. Leopold and frederick olmsted. Olmsted was responsible for the grounds of the capital. Richardson and eidlitz divided the building up in the interior. Eidlitz taking the senate side. He was then replaced by the final architect named isaac perry. He took the level of stone carving to new heights thats when you see when you look at the staircase. He was the final architect to worng it. Construction started in 1867 and went on and on and on. And there was lots of moaning about the link of time and the cost. In 1899 governor Theodore Roosevelt said were done. Its complete. And so marked the official end of the construction of the capitol. Although some other work probably did continue. But thats the official end of the construction story. Were standing in the second floor of the Old State Capitol long the Mississippi River in baton rouge, la. It was built in 1847 wp started in 1847 and completed in 1851. Its one o one of the only gothic capitols in the country. Its represent mri ka of