Capitol Masterpiece

Nebraska Stories

Air Date: 01/09/2013

Designed by American architect Bertram Goodhue and built of Indiana limestone, the Nebraska State Capitol is both a working seat of government and a monumental work of art, telling the story of Nebraska through mosaics, murals, and carved stone. Construction began in 1922 and continued for a decade, though Goodhue did not live to see the project completed, dying in 1924. Today, the capitol is a National Historic Landmark that draws more than 100,000 visitors annually, and its 400-foot tower, shaped by Goodhue’s travels and impressions of Nebraska’s landscape, can be seen from as far as 20 miles away.

Architect Bertram Goodhue created the visionary design for Nebraska's towering Capitol Building. Courtesy of the Nebraska Capitol Commission Collection.

Rotunda mosaics designed by Hildreth Meiere. Courtesy of Nebraska Capitol Commission Collections.

A group of grade-school students on a guided tour.

"Genius of Creative Energy" was designed by mosaic muralist Hildreth Meiere. It is located in the Foyer of the Capitol. Courtesy of Louise Meiere Dunn and Hildreth Meiere Dunn.

The Rotunda dome portrays the "Virtues," designed by mosaic muralist Hildreth Meiere.

This is the architectural drawing by Bertram Goodhue that won the nationwide architectural competition in 1920. Courtesy of the Nebraska Capitol Commission Collection.

Inscription from the north entrance of the Capitol. All inscriptions were created by UNL philosophy professor Hartley Burr Alexander.