Olympia in Thurston County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
Washington's State Capitol Design
On August 3, 1911, the Washington State Capitol Commission awarded first prize in a design competition for our state's new capitol to New York architects Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White. Wilder and White were relatively unknown, young architects whose ambitious plan for a group of six buildings for the state capitol was selected over 32 other entries.
The Wilder and White design is grounded in classical architectural styles recalling the temples of ancient Greece and Rome. It is among the last examples in an era known as American Renaissance and City Beautiful. The assembly of buildings faces Capitol Lake, Puget Sound and the distant Olympic Mountains, and is intended to be seen from afar as a single large structure supporting the dome of the Legislative Building at the center.
Work on the capitol buildings began in 1911, with the fifth building completed in 1940. The sixth building, intended for the western edge of the campus, was never built.
This sign commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Wilder and White design, August 2011.
”Olympia is wonderfully expressive of the State of Washington. Its location at the head of Puget Sound with the combination of water and mountains in every direction make it distinctive beyond most capitol cities, and what is true of the city is particularly true of the site elected for the capitol buildings themselves.”
W.R. Wilder,
Pacific Coast Architect,
January 1913, Vol. 4 page 154
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Man-Made Features • Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is August 3, 1911.
Location. 47° 2.247′ N, 122° 54.241′ W. Marker is in Olympia, Washington, in Thurston County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of 12th Avenue SW / Water Street SW and Cherry Lane SW, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located along the Heritage Park Trail walkway, near the trailhead on 12th Avenue SW. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 415 12th Avenue SW, Olympia WA 98501, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The First William Winlock Miller High School (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Putting down roots (about 400 feet away); POW AND MIA Monument (about 400 feet away); The Medal of Honor Monument (about 500 feet away); Sequoia Tree (about 600 feet away); Marathon Park (approx. 0.3 miles away); John Rankin Rogers (approx. 0.4 miles away); Marking the End of the Oregon Trail 1844 (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Olympia.
More about this marker. Marker is a large, framed composite plaque mounted horizontally on waist-high metal posts.
Regarding Washington's State Capitol Design. National Register of Historic Places (#79002564) (1979)
Also see . . . Washington State Capitol. Wikipedia entry:
Wilder and White's designs for the dome, weighing 26,000 metric tons, called for the dome to be fixed to its supporting structures by gravity instead of by any bolts or fasteners. During an earthquake, the dome could shift, along with the sandstone columns supporting it. The columns moved as much as three inches during the Nisqually earthquake of 2001. Renovations completed in 2004 fixed the dome permanently to the rest of the building. (Submitted on January 14, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 14, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 257 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 14, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on January 18, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 6, 7. submitted on January 14, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.