The
Rotunda
Rotunda
Voiceover
The Washington State
Seal
A highly polished bronze replica of
Washington’s state seal is in the center of the rotunda and is
often the first thing to catch the eye. The state seal is used
decoratively throughout the building on railings, door knobs,
furniture, and draperies. Charles and George Talcott, owners
of Talcott Jewelers, submitted a design for a state seal. They drew a circle around an inkwell, then placed a silver dollar
inside, and drew a circle around that as well. Inside the space
between the two concentric circles, they wrote the words “The
Seal of the State of Washington 1889.” Lastly, they pasted a two
cent postage stamp with a picture of George Washington on it in the
center of the design. The seal is now
used on official state documents and correspondence. The Secretary of
State ensures the seal is always used appropriately.
Rotunda
The
interior dome has been painted in a variety of
colors designed to accentuate the hand carved plaster and to enhance
the colors in the marble. Prior to October of 1987, everything above
the marble was plain white. The decorative painting was added as part
of the preparation for our state's centennial celebration. There are
actually three separate domes. The inside dome rises 166 feet above
the rotunda floor and forms the cosmetic interior ceiling. Beyond this is a conical support dome made from concrete, and the outer
dome, which is one of the tallest masonry domes in the world, at 287
feet. Masonry means that it is constructed entirely out of stone,
with no metal support of any kind.
The Chandelier
