Alabama State Capitol, Central Alabama Travel Guide

Perched atop Capitol Hill, also known as Goat Hill, the Alabama State Capitol has been a silent observer of Alabama's evolving story for over 150 years [3, 6]. The building, designed in the Greek Revival style by architect Barachias Holt, was completed in 1851 [3, 10]. It replaced an earlier structure that was destroyed by fire [2, 3, 10]. The Capitol's architecture features Corinthian columns on its west entrance and Ionic columns on its additions [10].In 1861, the Alabama State Capitol became the First Confederate Capitol when delegates from Southern states gathered in its Senate chamber to establish a new nation [2, 6]. A brass star on the west portico marks the spot where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the only president of the Confederacy [6]. Over a century later, in 1965, the Capitol steps were the endpoint of the Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “How Long, Not Long” speech [2, 6, 7].Today, the Alabama State Capitol serves as a working museum [6, 15]. Visitors can explore the House of Representatives, the Senate Chamber (restored to its 1861 appearance), the Old Supreme Court Chamber & Library, and the Rotunda, adorned with eight murals depicting episodes from Alabama history [14, 15]. While the Alabama Legislature no longer meets here, the Governor's office and other executive branch officers still occupy offices in the building [3, 6]. The Alabama State Capitol was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and underwent a major restoration in 1992 [2, 3, 15].