Capitol Story, Third Edition

Book excerpt: The New York State Capitol sits majestically at the head of Albany's State Street, a masterpiece of civic architecture and decorative design. Built between 1867 and 1899, it was the work of four architects—Thomas Fuller, Leopold Eidlitz, Henry Hobson Richardson, and Isaac Perry—who labored under geologically difficult, structurally challenging, and politically exasperating conditions. The building is also the product of hundreds of highly skilled masons and exceptional stone carvers. It is a feat of architectural design and engineering expertise, with superlatively executed interior features and finishes. First published in 1964 and reissued in 1982, C. R. Roseberry's Capitol Story tells the fascinating story of the Capitol's design and construction. This revised and expanded edition includes new information based on research done over the past twenty years, and brings the story up to date with a new chapter on the extensive interior and exterior restorations that were completed in 2013. The book also includes scores of new, specially commissioned, full-color photographs; notes; and an index. Capitol Story will appeal to a wide audience—young and old, New Yorkers and visitors, architecture and history buffs. More importantly, it will help build an educated constituency for the Capitol, one that will understand and be prepared to preserve the building in the years to come.