Bill Text: TX HR1161 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Texas State Capitol.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-04-23 - Reported enrolled [HR1161 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HR1161-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1161 |
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WHEREAS, The Texas State Capitol is 125 years old in 2013, and | ||
this special anniversary represents a fitting opportunity to | ||
celebrate a truly unique Texas landmark; and | ||
WHEREAS, The fourth capitol building in Austin, it is a | ||
striking example of Renaissance Revival architecture that was | ||
modeled on the U.S. Capitol and financed by a grant of three million | ||
acres of land in the Panhandle; it is constructed out of red granite | ||
quarried in Burnet County and transported to Austin by a specially | ||
built narrow-gauge railway; and | ||
WHEREAS, The project's final feature, a statue of the Goddess | ||
of Liberty, was placed atop the dome on February 26, 1888, and on | ||
April 21, the Capitol was opened to the public for the first time; | ||
it contained 392 rooms, 18 vaults, 924 windows, and 404 doors; the | ||
furnishings for the house and senate chambers were installed in | ||
1889; and | ||
WHEREAS, Over the next century, the Capitol was frequently | ||
updated and renovated; impressive paintings of the battles of the | ||
Alamo and San Jacinto were installed in the early 1900s, a post | ||
office opened in the building in 1908, and in 1922, an | ||
electronically controlled voting apparatus was set up in the house | ||
chamber; throughout the years, monuments to Texas cowboys, war | ||
veterans, and Tejano pioneers have been among the statues situated | ||
on the Capitol's grounds; and | ||
WHEREAS, In February 1983, a fire severely damaged the | ||
Capitol's East Wing and led to the creation of the State | ||
Preservation Board, which developed a master plan for a major | ||
restoration of the building; work began in 1990 for a | ||
665,000-square-foot underground annex, and over the next seven | ||
years, the Capitol's exterior, interior, and grounds were | ||
extensively renovated; the Capitol was rededicated on April 21, | ||
1995; and | ||
WHEREAS, Today, the State Capitol serves both as the seat of | ||
government in Texas and as a destination for visitors from across | ||
the state and nation and around the world, who come to appreciate | ||
the building's beauty and dignity and to learn about the | ||
fascinating history of the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas | ||
Legislature hereby commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Texas | ||
State Capitol. | ||
Guillen | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1161 was adopted by the House on April | ||
17, 2013, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||