Assignment Iowa Classics; 202; Old Capital Restoration

Aw. This week from all you were city. When you consider how primitive life was when I was first settled. It's amazing that I was first permanent capital built and I was city during the early 1840s was this elegant and romantic building. Actually the territorial legislature called for its construction and it served four years as the third territorial capital. Then in 1846 the first state general assembly convened here just 22 days before President Polk signed the bill of officially making the twenty ninth state in the union. Eleven years later the seat of government moved to Des Moines and over capital it was given to the University of Iowa. University had no buildings and this building has been

used by the university ever since. But six years ago they decided to restore it so that all Iowans could enjoy their heritage. We're going to talk about that restoration with Dr. Margaret Keyes the director of bold capital. Market. Why don't we just sit right here on the steps and talk about. This. It must be very exciting. To work on a project like this. It's an extremely exciting project Mary Jane. I think the single most exciting thing I've done in my life. Was really the rationale. For doing the restoration. First the university outgrew this building as an office building you know it's not a very large building. And then of course the building is historically an architecturally significant. It's been named a national historic landmark. That means it has national significance. And many historical things took place here. I guess the unique thing is there is only one. First a capital right. And. The

state of Iowa actually was founded here. The code of I was written here the laws of are written here. The Iowa Republican Party was founded here. Yes I read that. Before. You did. You directed the research is that right. Yes. That was my first assignment. Did you start doing it. July of 1970 six years ago. Seems like kind of a mind boggling task. What did you do did you divide it up into areas in. That way. Well. Actually this is the first building I've ever worked on as a restoration. And so it was something new to me but I knew that the first thing that we had to do was to find out what this building was like when it was constructed. We had to find out what was the original plan. We had to find out what were the original furnishings. And so we actually conducted research. Two to two and a half years before we even took a single bit of plaster off the wall. For instance in the governor's office how would you know how it was for me.

Well. We. Didn't find any pictures of the interior of the building but it was a capital is before the days of interior photographs. So we had to find out what would be appropriate what kinds of furnishings would go in a bit of a building of this sort. And we were very fortunate in having the Illinois capital over at Springfield which had already been restored which was designed by the same architect as this building John Francis we do. And. We studied their building very carefully. I learned a great deal from the man who started that particular building. How did you know for instance. What color it was. Or. What was. The wind. No. We don't know what color I was inside. That's exactly what happened. We were fortunate in finding the actual vultures for expenditure of federal monies on this building when it was being

constructed as the capital of the territory of the federal money went into it. And we found those vouchers in the National Archives in Washington D.C.. They bought gallons of things. But you think they ever once said what color they bought. We don't know what color the walls were. We've had to give it an educated guess. As to what would be appropriate. I hope someday we find. A letter from say a former legislator who wrote home to his wife and said something about all the beautiful pale yellow walls in some rooms. As we go through these doors. There are a number of offices around what I call the first floor right. That's right right. OK. Now. With the. Governor's office on the first floor. Yes. And what else. Well we have the secretary of state the governor. The auditor the Treasurer. The Supreme Court chamber and the library which was a library for the people of the state not just for the legislators. I do actually have books.

We have original books. We have been able to find over 1000 books that actually were in this building in the late 40s and 50s. What are the outstanding features to you in your mind because you have researched the various. Offices on the first. All the offices on the first floor I think the library is outstanding because of the original collection. It's a rare book collection every book dates before 1857. And it's an excellent collection. The governor's office is quite outstanding because we've been able to find antique furniture appropriate for the governor's office including a magnificent desk. The Supreme Court chamber is going to be a very exciting room it isn't quite finished we're still looking for some of the right furniture for it but it has a beautiful reproduced desk that will seat three judges because you want to really be as authentic as.

Humanly possible. How did you keep the credibility of the building for instance. They were lighted by candle and their light switches in there to hide that sort of thing. Well this was a challenge and we worked with the architects that restored the Illinois Capitol. And they had learned how to conceal light switches there behind panels and baseboards for example. There isn't a single visible light switch on the first and second floors. We've also had to put 20th century conveniences into a 19th century building such as air conditioning and temperature and humidity controls. And they come through various slots and we've had to supplement lighting too. I was really standing up there and looking at this imagining it how it was over a hundred years ago and all of a sudden elevator comes up and opens it I think you know the elevator was there. This is something we added because we wanted to we weren't required to do this but we wanted everyone to see the Capitol restored. And so. We

put a. Elevator in a corner. And it looks like a closet in the room. I noticed. These. Iron blocks. Now. That I think really. We have two methods of heating the building we did not know and we started restoring the building that there were fireplaces on the first floor. But when we took the plaster off and we have had every bit of plaster off the first and second floors. We found bricked up fireplace openings. Sometimes they break them up we don't know. And then they went to St.. Now on the second floor are no fireplace openings and so by the time they were finishing the second floor which we know was after the first floor. The modern thing was cast iron stoves. So no fireplace openings up there the wood boxes that are by look. Are they really. Yes they are. Yes we've used

authentic. Antiques of the period including the wood boxes chairs tables secretaries. We have very little original furniture. I suppose. In traveling. Much of it was destroyed. And. We have one record. That they moved the furniture from this building to Des Moines in 1857 in the winter and they moved on bobsleds an ox carts and the story is. That they dug down mired down in the snow of mud over in Jasper County and were left. We don't know the. First governor's mansion was planned. Down there is that right. Right. And there's a grove of trees down there and that was the intent. To have the governor's office. Our. Mansion. So that he could look out and view his capitol.

Did you commission a certain specific word. Of the Supreme Court chambers in the furniture. Yeah. Yes. That was native to Iowa. That they had in the building and furniture that we had. Who did the wood work for you in. The actual furniture Norman Johns did. THE MAN. Well I think what we'll do is talk a bit with Norman. Norman Jones is from the Amana Colonies and his family has a furniture refinishing shop there. We are now in the Supreme Court chambers and among other things. Norman. And his family built this magnificent desk what is the wood here. Norman that's like I want. Having we just think this is all I would say that weighs

seventeen eighteen hundred pounds. Did you have Did you have to make it all in one long piece and and then transported. Yes. I want to do that. We installed casters underneath. In the shop and left them on there until we got here in the present location then. Lifted up on the platform and removed them. So that's a lot. Did you make this from a picture blueprint of what. We had a blueprint to doing. Yes. Now I understand that you may ask for bids for some of this. Work. For the. Capital. And. Why did you want to do it. Well. We felt. As a family. We were. The reason we want to do it is because to us it was quite a privilege to be able to do it. For the state of Iowa and its people. And that's the main reason we really. Kept our bit as low as possible to be able to do it. You didn't look at it as a money making proposition then just something where you contribute to

this to a certain extent you have to. Be. Not always but still. This was a main reason to be able to do it. Now when you make something like this for a project. You have to use old fashioned woodworking techniques. Yes. The way these plans for. Made. Sure many of these ORDER TAKE ME LIKE. The old are making furniture was. Like Bellfield drawers. And the mortise and tenon construction and. Things or such and of course also. The finish at the very end. It's also very important. Oh you mean the finish. Well. You finish. What was required was a little French Polish finish and this is the type that has been used to humanise. Since eighteen hundred and forty five are still used today.

So really it was fitted right in with the way you ordinarily do things any right. Correct. You also did a number of chairs and arm. And small brass for the House chamber which is up stairs right. Yes. How many in all. There were 26 chairs which were duplicated from an original chair. And there were twenty six. Of the. Judges. Are not judges it was the. Chamber desks which we also made from the original. And there was one speaker sticks. In the wood worked out just perfectly. No problem. We had to select our work. Because. A project like this would be in this length. It's rather hard to come by. And we have a good supply of wood on hand. And that's what I would like to say to. This writer or it's goes back to 50 to 70 years of age.

Where did you get it would you find it is to take what. Was given to me by my uncle passed away a number of years ago. And he was also a woodworker your man for 40 years and he saved his work for your own personal use. And his older son of course never got to use it so it was handed on to me. Well what a fitting place for that sister I think I would ask you right now. What this project has meant to you. What would you say. Well. Amanda great to me. To be able to do it. With my own two hands. And to tell my children. That I made it on that Sunday and tell their children. My dad made this for my grandfather. I mean. This is. Quite meaningful for us.

To get to the House and Senate chambers on the second floor of all capitol you have to use one of the most unusual features of the Capitol building. It's the reverse spiral staircase meaning that the spiral goes to the left instead of the right. I'm. Going to talk with Margaret Keyes again about the restoration of the second floor. I guess since we're in the house. Side of the old capitol I assume this just behind us was used by the speaker of the house then. This is plan for the Speaker this is one that we designed not based on our research findings. And Norman made this one oh yes yes. OK. And he made all of these desks for the members of the house. Yes. Plus the chair Plus the chair there are made of I were black wrong that all of the furniture that has been reproduced has

been done of that wood. I was interested to see the original you have one now you have two original one which has really been untouched right. Ron has been untouched it was not the first one we found in the first room we found was one of these. Lucky things a gentleman in the mine a sand a newspaper clipping to his old buddy who lived in Winter Park Florida. And said they're looking for furniture for old capital. And he said you still have that nice little old desk that you inherited that came from the old capitol. And it turned out that he did and he got it because his grandfather had been superintendent of buildings and grounds over in the mine capital. And so I had a letter from this gentleman in Winter Park. Saying I have this task. Are you interested he sent pictures and of course we were interested and it was sent to us air freight. There was a newspaper story on that there. And we found the

second dance over at Grinnell College didn't have any idea it was there. I'm curious about how did you know for instance that the that the balcony I assume the spectators could go up there to watch the proceedings. Yes but how did you know where it should be placed and what height it would be in that sort of thing. This was the single most exciting thing that happened on the project. We had information that galleries had been planned for the chambers but they had never been constructed because of the lack of money. Well. One of my student research assistants started finding references in old newspapers but the gallery was reserved for ladies the gallery was cleared because of a disturbance. And then we found the bill which said the superintendent of the building was instructed to have constructed a gallery from east to west in the House chamber. Well we decided you don't find all those things without having a gallery. And this was all before we took one single inch of plaster off. Well finally we will. We went ahead and projected a gallery we didn't know how big to make it

but we simply went ahead and projected one. Then we started taking the plaster off. We found we had been too modest because we made it small thinking you know they were saving money they were being frugal. And. When we found the sockets for the beams they were exactly where the gallery is now. The gallery is exactly the size it was originally And as you can see it goes past a window and we have stairs that go up past us. Now that. May look like a strange sort of thing. But the same architect rabu did exactly the same thing in the Illinois Capitol. He put his gallery right across windows. It's just like we're going to eventually have pipes going right across windows because that's the way that's the way they did it in the what about the carpeting this is quite unusual is this an authentic. Replica.

Of what you think they had. Well it's an often a replica 1840s and 1850s and again this was a lucky. Happening. I attended a meeting in Philadelphia and met a couple there who have Iowa ancestry. And became quite well acquainted and it happened they knew this building and. They said you know we have a sample of carpeting from the 1840s 1850s. And if you're interested we'll share it with you. And if you'd like to have it reproduced we'll give you the privilege of doing this. Well the story is a long one but I did interview 17 carpet companies. And finally found a company in Durham England that was the only company that could reproduce this carpet from the American companies could reproduce the pattern. The colors that wonderful mossy green in the Crimson and the golds and all add up. But they could not do the texture of the pie. This is a Brussels carpet. Is this woolen. This is 100

percent war oh it's done of a very fine yarn. And unfortunately the American companies could not reproduce the very fine yarn. And give it. Almost a needlepoint. Yeah sure which is the way I love to hear things very much so. Now across as I came up the stairway. Across from here is is the Senate chamber. Now is that. That is not the way it. Used to look. There was a because they couldn't of had a chandelier surely. No that's actually that's a replica of an 18th century chandelier over there. That room is as it was in the 1920s remodeling of the building. That's the second room that represents the university. And we have set it up using the furniture that was purchased in the 1920s. And. Using the chandelier the sconces very decorative choruses a decorative plaster chorus and the others just beautiful. But all that went in in the 1920s. And it's an interesting room because it's been

the place for faculty meetings. It's been the historic site for difference of 380 dissertations. There are many different events that have taken place there. And we're going to reinstitute some of those such as what the defense a Ph.D. dissertation I mean the graduate students will come up here to this gorgeous room and. Defend themselves say yes to the single person and you know with so many alarms have said to me I remember how I felt when I walked up the stairs for that historic in Venice. I also remember how I felt when I went down the stairs. Yes. And one thing that. We haven't discussed at all. I don't think are the window shutters. No. Is this the way they used to have them these done exactly the way. Yes we think they are. They were completely taken out in the 1920s remodeling. And we have just one picture an 1890s picture which shows us. Half of one of the shutters and they were solid panel

shutters. Well what happened in the 1920s when they eliminated the shutters. They eliminated the wells that the shutters folded back into. There are a bicycle shop shutter and so we had to completely redo all of the mill work. Around the windows just to be able to have a place to put the shutters again. The workmanship on this is really astounding isn't it. The Craftsman have. Really been so proud of everything they have done. The quality of the paint the work the quality of the plaster. Someone said to me that can't possibly be plaster. I said I know it is I saw it go on. Another interesting thing is the Wayne sky around the room and the chair the chair rail Yes when we had the plaster off this room we found little wood plugs all the way around just exactly a chair rail height and we had known from all pictures of there was a Wings guide so we know it's exactly the height. That

the original one was. What about the columns. Yes. We think the columns and the halls both on the second floor and the first floor. Are the only original millwork we have in the building. On this floor the second floor we have Corinthian order capitals on the first floor we have dark. I don't know what you mean by mill work. Mill work is all the woodwork all the woodwork around the windows on the doors and that kind of fill. In. The rest of it has has is a replication. But in that case it is the original. We think those 8 columns are original. Those are to be guarded heavily. They're very special. Yeah right. I mean I think that I've missed here and looking around this room and. In the Senate. Well I'd just like to comment on the staircases that go to the gallery. Those had to be designed specially and we did not know what they were alive. We did know where they were because the evidence was in the

walls that. There were wells at either end of the gallery. There were no support no indications of supports that came out from the walls that would have support of the floor of the gallery. And so we knew that's where they were. But then again we had to go ahead and design a staircase based upon the the main staircase. What about spittoons. You haven't even mentioned those at the bottom. Dozens of those for this building which is something that really bothered me. We found it in the original vouchers. And I thought how could they use so many spittoons. I kept thinking of the brass ones of course and suddenly I tumbled. They were using ceramic ones. Probably they kicked them and broke them because they sat on the floor. And we have been able to find so far at least a dozen and a half ceramic spittoons. That will be sitting around on the floors in here. Thank you. This is Virgil answer is chairman of the restoration project and we are sitting right now in what used to be the office of the secretary of state

of Iowa and then for years and years it was the office of president of the university so it must seem very familiar to you. Yes it is because your husband was president here for 24. That's right yeah that's right. From 1948 where he said four to six the court is since you're chairman. I was wondering if you would tell a little bit about the funding of this project. It's from private gifts and grants mostly. We did get a small. We did get some money from the legislature for some roofing and some things that needed special attention on the building itself but not for the restoration restoration money all comes from private deaths and from a number of grants one from the Park Service and one from the urban housing and development. In this room itself which is very beautifully appointed. There's much

furniture yet but one thing that is here is a beautiful task. Yes that desk belonged to President MacLean who was president about the turn of the century and also you have I know there's a library over here now are in in the 70 Yes in these bookshelves are books collected from all the presidents from the very beginning. There are books about the code of honor. A lot of books about how the university got started there is a complete set of Hawkeye's from the beginning I say. And. They're all very interesting and those books have stayed here through all through through all the different presidents. So this room will in essence be kept as a sort of a part of the University of Iowa as a remembrance of it rather than when it went back to the to the state. That's right we decided very early on the committee did to have every

occupancy of the building represented. And this will be one of the one of the rooms that represents the university's long occupancy hundred and thirteen years. Having lived here a long time yourself and been connected with the university for so long what means the most about this to you Mrs. Hatch about this building and the restoration of it. Well I love building I love the building from the first and I'm delighted that since it had to be evacuated by the administration that had grown too big for it that it was decided to restore it and to preserve it. I think it would have been a great pity to have used it for classrooms or used for any other purpose at all. And so I'm delighted that it's being restored and I'm really thrilled to have a part of and helping with it. And I'm sure that many people or you are a debt of thanks to for all the work you put in on it. Well I've enjoyed I would say every minute of it. We've had our upsets but I've enjoyed most of it.

Thank you Mr. Stanton. On July 3rd 1976 This was taken down and all the capital was dedicated and opened once again to the public. That's you. I married. That night.