TABLE OF CONTENTS


Overview of the Collection

Historical Note

Scope and Content

Restrictions

Index Terms

Related Material

Administrative Information

Container List

Records 1871-1880

RG 027, Board of Capitol Commissioners

Inventory of Records

Finding aid prepared by Connecticut State Library staff.

Copyright © 2010 by the Connecticut State Library

Overview of the Collection
Repository: Connecticut State Library
Creator: Connecticut. Board of Capitol Commissioners
Title: Board of Capitol Commissioners records
Dates: 1871-1880
Quantity: 29 cubic feet
Abstract: The Board of Capitol Commissioners oversaw construction of a new State Capitol building in Hartford.
Identification: RG027
Accession: 1974-004
Language: The records are in English.

Historical Note

In July 1871 the General Assembly created a commission and authorized a bond issue and the expenditure of funds to plan and construct a new State Capitol building in Hartford. The old State House was to be turned over to the city.

The first Board of State House Commissioners accepted plans drawn by Richard M. Upjohn of New York and awarded a construction contract to James G. Batterson. In the middle of 1873 the General Assembly suspended the work and appointed a new commission to direct changes and improvements in the design and specification; as a result the building was made “fireproof”, it was considerably enlarged, and the planned modest clock-tower was replaced by the imposing gilded dome.

The building was completed and occupied in 1879.

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Scope and Content

Includes minutes, correspondence, proceedings, contracts, proposals, specifications, estimates, plans and drawings, time books, materials lists and receipts, account books, vouchers, bank books and cancelled checks.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

See the Rules and Procedures for Researchers Using Archival Records and Secured Collections policy.

Restrictions on Use

See the Reproduction and Publications of State Library Collections policy.

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Related Material

In addition to the Upjohn drawings, the State Library has received various other manuscript items related to the construction of the Captiol. See the manuscripts and archives acatalog under Upjohn, R.M.; Batterson, James G.; and Connecticut. State Capitol.

RG 084, Commission on the Preservation and Restoration of the Connecticut State Capitol, Connecticut State Library.

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Index Terms

Persons:

Batterson, James G
Upjohn, Richard, 1802-1878

Organizations:

Connecticut. Board of Capitol Commissioners

Subjects:

Connecticut -- Capital and capitol
Connecticut State Capitol -- Hartford (Conn.)
Connecticut. Board of Capitol Commissioners -- Records and correspondence
Hartford (Conn.). Buildings, structures, etc
Public buildings -- Connecticut -- Hartford -- Design and construction

Document Types:

Account books
Architectural drawings
Bank statements
Check stubs
Checks (bank checks)
Contracts
Correspondence
Diaries
Minutes
Proceedings
Receipts
Vouchers

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Administrative Information

Provenance

The Commission (which still sometimes called itself the State House Commission) turned over “the last of “ its files to the Comptroller on 30 November 1880, with an itemized list. Those records were transferred in March 1974 from Vault 2 in the Capitol basement to Archives in the State Library.

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Container List

Records, 1871-1880
1. Minutes of meetings, 1871 August 25-1880 March 27, 3 volumes bound in 1 Item 1
Secretary's notes and drafts, 1872 Septemnber-1880 March Box 2
2. "Important Memoranda", 1871-1880 Box 3
Miscellaneous materials; included are freight receivpts, extra time books for office staff, notes on agreements with minor contractors, and some drafts of reports and of contracts.
3. Letters received, 1871-1880
1871-1876, 1 volume Box 4
1877-1878 May, 1 volume Box 5
1878 June-1879 August, 1 volume Box 6
1879 September--1880 November, 1 volume Box 7
Includes separate letters from James G. Batterson
Index to letters received, 1871-1877, 1 volume Item 8
Index to letters recieved, 1878-1880 Item 9
4. Letters sent, 1872 March 7-1880-November 30
1872-1876 September, 1 volume Item 10
1876 October-1878 July, 1 volume Item 11
1878 July-1879 October, 1 volume Item 12
1879 October-1880 November, 1 volume Item 13
1871 September-1877 May, 1 volume Item 14
1877 May-1878 July, 1 volume Item 15
1878 August-1879 July, 1 volume Item 16
1879 August-1880 November, 1 volume Item 17
Index to letters sent, 1 volume Item 18
1872 March-1877 May, 1 volume Item 19
Duplicates.
1877 May-1878 July, 1 volume Item 19a
Duplicates.
5. Record book, 1871 July-1878, 1 volume Item 20
Transcriptions of legislation, resolutions, reports, contract, specifications, proposals and related correspondence, etc. Includes a table of contents.
6. Diaries, 1871-1880
"Memoranda of Occurrences", 1 volume Item 21
E.P. McManus Journal, , 1 volume Item 22
Contains chronological notes of activities.
J.A. Brown's Journal, 1872-1873, 1 volume Item 23
7. Dome investigation proceedings, 1879 February-March, 2 duplicate volumes Items 24-25
8. Contracts, proposals, specifactions, estimates, 1871-1880
Proposals, specifications and estimates Boxes 26-32
Contracts with principal contractors (Batterson, Upjohn and others); estimates (worksheets); estimates (numbererd series, 20-82).
Unarranged.
Estimates, Fogerty, Batterson Item 33
Estimates, Engineers of Commissioner Item 34
Estimates, Contractors Item 35
Estimates Item 36
9. Upjohn plans and drawings, 1871-1874, 725.11 fC76up, 12 volumes + oversize items
These are the completed plans and drawings of the architect, Richard M. Upjohn.
These volumes are in the classified archives.
Received at the State Library in 1906.
No. 1-58, Grounds, exteriior elevations, north, south, east Volume 1
No. 59-124, Exterior elevations, west & general Volume 2
No. 125-227, Interior elevations, general Volume 3
No. 228-311, Interior elevations, Senate, House, Library Volume 4
No. 312-411, Interior elevations, stairs, foundation, ventilation Volume 5
No. 412-486, Floors Volume 6
No. 487-534, Floors Volume 7
No. 535-569, Tiling & ceiling Volume 8
No. 570-620, Roof Volume 9
No. 659-724, Dome, exterior, interior, ceiling Volume 10
No. 725-806, Detail, stone Volume 11
No. 725-806, Detail, iron, wood, miscellaneous Volume 12
Details of the State Capitol on tracing cloth, 14 items oversize
Foundation plan
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Details of sand stone work
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Stone cutter's details (main stairs)
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Details for main entrances (iron gates)
3 inches = 1 foot
Mezzanine floor
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Iron details (vault doors, etc.), Full size doors and jambs
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Main stairs, section through G-H, sand stone details #24
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Eastern porch, #26 Elevation
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Footing plan (?)
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Sand stone details of main stairs (section)
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Drawing to show how to start with marblework of dome above roof
1 inch = 1 foot
Southern porches. Elevation and section
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Tranverse section through Representative Hall, main stairs and library, #10
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Encapsulated with drawing listed next.
Longitudinal section through library and adjoining towers, #10
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Encapsulated with drawing listed above.
Specifications for the iron work in the roof and statue for the dome of the Capitol, 6 items oversize
Specifications covering the iron work in the roof of the State Capitol, and the one drawing of the top of the dome showing the figure of "Genius of Connecticut", both by the architect Richard. M. Upjohn.
Presented to the State Library Novembe 26, 1924 by J.J. Connor, Jr. of the Metuchen National Bank, Metuchen, New Jersey.
Elevation, sections, plans, and views of capitol parapet, wheel window, and pinnacle, PW-1, 1 item
Elevation and section of dome and laurthorne(?), 1 item
1/4 inch = 1 foot
Design with clock tower, PW-156, 1 item
Second story plan, 1 item
1 inch = 8 feet
Ground plan, 1 item
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Second story plan, PW-167, 1 item
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Shows changes to Hall of Representatives proposed by the committee. Proposed by the State House Commission for the Committee of the Legislature, presented to the committee, 1879 February 12.
Second story plan, plan no. 1, 1 item
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Proposed by the committee, 1879 February 12.
No. 1340, elevation of one bay of dome, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Elevation of one bay of dome, 1 item
Mezzanine story, 1 item
1 inch = 8 feet
No. 214, roof of Representative Hall, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
No. 1292, loft plan, 1 item
1/8 inch = 1 foot
No. 1290, section views of dome through parapet looking down on weathering, 1 item
Transverse section through main parts of building, 1 item
1/4 inch = 1 foot
Parapet sections - 4 main towers, 1 item
Section views of cornices, columns, windows, rosettes, towers, gables, wheel windows, porches, canopies, and balcony.
Elevation of small towers above ornamental band, PW-140, 1 item
No. 1308, sections of tower depicting statues, 1 item
No. 1578, stairwell column views, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Received in Hartford, 1879 February 14.
No. 1484, elevation of circular stairs, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
No. 1216, longitudinal section showing spaces between...showing for light and ventilation of roof, 1 item
1/8 inch = 1 foot
Front elevation of one angle of dome with plan of courses, 1 item
No. 1289, elevation of one bay of dome, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
No. 1314, section through staircases in dome, 1 item
1/2 inch = 1 foot
Connecticut State Capitol building plaque layout, 1 item
10. Descriptions and plans of competing architects other than Upjohn, 1871-1872
Ciruclar to prospective architects of the new state capitol building by Connecticut Governor Marshall Jewell, 1871 September 29, copy Box 37 1
Atwood, Chas. B., 1871-1872 2
Batterson & Keller, undated 3
Billings, H. & J.E., 1872 March 20 4
Bryant & Rogers, 1872 January 1 5
Emerson & Fehmer, 1872 March 4 6
Gambrill & Richardson, 1872 7
Hallett, William T., 1872 February 15 8
Langerfeldt, T.O., 1872 March 9
Le Brun, N., 1871-1872 10
Peabody & Stearns, undated 11
Post, Geo. B., 1872 March 6 12
Sturgis & Brigham, 1872 March 6 13
11. Time books, 1873-1880, Small books in 2 boxes + 4 larger volumes Boxes 38-39, Items 40-43
Time worked records of construction workers and office employees.
12. Materials lists and receipts , 1874-1880 Boxes 44-46
Lists of materials ordered, delivered, or received; measurments of pipe, marble, etc.
Unarranged.
13. Account books, 1872-1880, 7 volumes Items 47-53
Three sets as follows: Volumes 1-5; Volume 6, on earlier and superseded set of accounts; one volume on grading grounds.
14. Vouchers, 1872-1880
Lists and copies of vouchers, 1 volume Item 54
1872-1877 March Box 55
1877 April-1878 May Box 56
1878 June-1879 December Box 57
1880 January-July Box 58
Also petty cash vouchers and journals.
Vouchers for grading grounds, 1878-1880 Boxes 59-60
15. Bank books, check stubs, cancelled checks, 1874-1880 Box 61
Unarranged.
16. Miscellaneous records
Records, 1871-1880, 1 volume Boxes 62-65
Includes bills, invoices, payrolls, a list of sub-contractors' addresses, heating plant layour sketches, expenditure statements, applications for employment, compilations of relevant General Assembly Acts, etc.
Unarranged.
Account book, 1877-1878, 1 volume Item 66
Detailed estimates for alteraltions to new State Capitol, 1874, 1 volume Item 67
Detailed estimates for alteraltions to new State Capitol, 1874, 1 volume Item 68
Specification book, undated, 1 volume Item 69