03/15/11

The next set of adventures of our day in Downtown Raleigh.

Here is our Capitol Building built in 1840 after the original State House had burned.... when those working on putting a fire proof roof on the State House left the "fire" going that melted the metal they were using and it caused the State House to catch on fire! Kind of ironic, eh? The Senators and Representatives were in session at the time as the roof began to fall in from the fire. The people were throwing things out of the window to save them.... only to have the walls fall outward and burn all that they tried to save.

This building is one of the only original State Houses/Capital buildings left in the country. Many were torn down and re-built. I am so glad our state didn't have the money to do that when it was popular. We would miss out on beautiful architecture and history!

I had to prove I was there....

Mikayla was "digging" the statue of the three presidents from North Carolina. She "loves" James K. Polk right now because he was from Mecklenburg County, where Charlotte is located, and she is doing her city report on Charlotte.

A statue of George Washington.

Looks a little odd, doesn't it... not what you normally think of when you see him.

An Italian sculptor portrayed him this way... like a Greek god. The people of NC were NOT happy when he was presented because you could see his legs and toes. It didn't matter that he looked nothing like George.

Original Senate chambers

Original House of Representatives.... That painting of George Washington was one of three things that was saved from the fire.

The Capitol Library... Mikayla was all about this room.

Wes checking out the House of Representatives

Our Governor Bev Perdue's office... partly. We stuck our head in to see her but she wasn't there. I didn't vote for her, but it still would have been neat to meet her!

Hope you enjoyed your History lesson today.