reopening state capitol

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south mississippi scene

STORY BY ROYCE ARMSTRONGPHOTOS COURTESY MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY

CLAY WILLIAMS

IF WALLS COULD TALK . . .

The Old CapitolMMississippi legislators wouldhear whispers reaching back

170 years when they next con-vene in their opening session

for 2009.

I am excited about the

opportunity to be able to return

to the Old Capitol and open

the 2009 legislative session. It

is a great honor for me to be

able to return to the place

where so many of the states

great leaders from the past

have served this state, com-

mented Representative Deryk

Parker of Lucedale.

The Legislature will hold its

opening session in the newly

restored Old Capitol building

on the anniversary of the 1839

opening session, the first leg-islative session to be held there.

The Old Capitol will open

for general admission on

Saturday, January 10.

The political history of the

state during that time has real-

ly defined the growth of the

state, said Clay Williams, the

director of the Old Capitol

Museum. The state grew from

a small, frontier state to a mem-

ber of the solid cotton growing

South, the Civil War,

Reconstruction and up to the

beginning of the 20th century.

The capitol of Mississippi

was originally located in

Natchez, Williams said. Thelegislature decided to move it

to a more central location and

the small town of Jackson was

chosen.

At the time Jackson had dirt

streets and boardwalks in front

of the stores and businesses

serving its 1,000 residents. The

building, originally called the

State House, is a three story

Greek revival structure

designed by British architect

William Nichols. It was the

third and final statehouse

designed by Nichols and was


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destinations: Old Capitol

Right, Old Capitol 1859; Below, House in the 1890sand Bottom, the Old Capitol in the 1960s (Noticethe brick exterior which has now been covered with

stucco bringing the building back to its mid-19thcentury appearance.


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Top, Roof damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005;Middle, Work continues on cupola; Bottom, Frontview of Capitol restoration in progress

built at the main intersection of the frontier town.

The building itself is defined by its rotunda,

which rises ninety-four feet from the polished

limestone floor to the top of the dome.

The big point of the Old Capitol is that it is

such an example of Jacksonian democracy,

Williams said. It was built during the mid-1800s

when Andrew Jackson was at the height of his

power all across this country. He was all about

democracy, the people rule; the common people

having a say in government. So the two biggest

rooms in the building were the House of

Representatives chamber and the Senate. Those

were where the representatives . . . where the

people take part in the government. The governor

was in a small little office on the bottom floor in

what would have been considered the basement.

It is not really a basement, but they call it the

basement. The governors office was back in thecorner. The building is representative of democ-

racy in action where the people have the biggest

say in government and not the chief executive.

Many of us consider the Old Capitol the most

historic building in the state of Mississippi, said

Williams. It served as the state capitol from 1839

to 1903. That was a period of great growth in the

state. Many monumental events took place during

that time period. Of significance, directly related

to the old capitol is the last two state constitu-

tions were written in that building, including the1890 constitution, which is our current constitu-

tion.

If walls could talk, the old building would have

some fascinating stories to tell as it went through

its ups and downs.

The legislature commissioned the building in

1833, but then had to fire the first architect,

according to Williams. That architect was design-

ing a structure that was impractical at the time.

A major renovation to the building occurred in

1870 and it fell into disrepair and was abandoned

in 1903, when the new capitol building was com-

pleted.

A civic-minded group kept it from being torn

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down and it was finally turned into a state office

building in 1917, a function it served until 1959.

After another major renovation it became the

home of the state historical museum. The museum,

administered by the Mississippi Department of

Archives and History, was one of the first in the

nation accredited by the American Association of

Museums, in 1972. In 1991, the Old Capitol was

designated a National Historic Landmark.

Over time the old building again fell into disre-

pair as the museum outgrew the space afforded by

the building. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina lifted the

roof from the building, forcing action.

The decision was made to restore the historic

building to its mid-19th century appearance and

create a separate museum within it.

During the spring session in 2006, the legislature

approved a bill authorizing $14 million to restore

the building. Work began that fall on the $16 mil-lion project. The additional costs are being paid

through private and other sources, Williams said.

The interactive museum, which expects to draw

100,000 visitors a year, is going to be far from being

a dusty warehouse of old artifacts, said Williams. It

is also intended to focus on three major themes.

There is such a great history of how that build-

ing was used over the years. Williams said. That

is the number one purpose of restoring the build-

ing. Then, number two, we are focusing on govern-

ment and civics. What better place in the state toeducate school kids and adults on how government

works than the old state capitol?

The third major thing with the building is his-

toric preservation, he said. There were a number

of times in the past when they could have knocked

the building down. During the years, history mind-

ed people said no, we are going to keep this struc-

ture and thank goodness they did. We are really

going to harp on that theme, not only the Old

Capitol but also historical structures throughout

Mississippi.

The restoration was filled with challenges.

You have got so many years of history, not just

Top, Painting capitals in Chancery Court; Middle,Gas light reflector and fixture installed in Senate;Bottom, Removing wood flooring in Senate Chamber;Opposite, Artists Rendering of CompletedRestoration

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the history that occurred in the

building but the things that

have been done to that building

over the years, said Williams.

It was built in 1839, some

pretty major changes in 1870,

some pretty big changes in

1917, some big changes in 1959

and 1961. So, you have to

determine which of those

changes you are going to allow

to stay and which of those you

are going to make an effort to

change. Of course, money is

not a bottomless pit. Plus, there

is also a time frame. Everything

in this project is being driven

by having it open by January 6,

2009.In a sense, the walls of the

museum will talk.

Williams said that visitors

will be given a ticket at the

door. At various exhibits in the

building you will be able to

scan the ticket and in a sense

become a part of the exhibit. At

one station you might scan

your ticket and the exhibit will

tell you that you are a white

ex-Confederate soldier in 1868

who has not signed an oath of

allegiance to the United States.

You cannot vote. Instead of just

reading a textbook about it, it

is going to put you into the sit-

uation.

One of the biggest wow

exhibits, Williams said, is

that when you walk into the

Senate Chamber you will wit-

ness a debate. Manikins will beon display with audio of three

different debates that actually

took place in the old Senate

Chamber. One deals with

reconstruction. One deals with

whether or not to tear the Old

Capitol down and things of

that nature. Another exhibit

talks about the city of Jackson

and why the capitol was moved

here.

In the old Supreme Court

Chamber there will be five

court cases that actually took

place when the building was

the capitol building. The visitor

can choose to be either the

appellee or the appellant and

read from the actual words of

the case and three judges will

issue their decree.

The idea, according to

Williams, was to give visitorsthe idea that the building is

alive and let it tell its story.

reopening state capitol

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