About the Capitol
The Virginia Capitol is a living landmark to American self-government. Since 1788, it has been home to the General Assembly, the oldest legislature continuously operating in the Western Hemisphere. Designed by Thomas Jefferson, the Capitol was the first public building in the New World constructed in the Monumental Classical style; it has served as a prototype for countless capitols, courthouses, municipal buildings, and even churches and residences for more than 200 years.
Current Events at the Capitol
Monument to the Achievements of the Women of Virginia to be Installed on Virginia's Capitol Square
RICHMOND – 3/28/13 The Women of Virginia Commemorative Commission announced the selection of the winning design for the Women's Monument to be placed on the grounds of Virginia's Capitol Square in Richmond. Thought to be the first of its kind in the nation, the Monument will commemorate the collective contributions of the women of Virginia throughout the past 400 years of its storied history. Prominently placed and respectfully integrated into the historic Capitol landscape, the Monument's oval-garden design includes elements of sculpture and landscaping that will provide visitors an interactive and educational experience. Out of 34 designs submitted from around the world, the Commission unanimously selected the winning design by StudioEIS of Brooklyn, New York and The 1717 Design Group, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia. Today’s decision was announced in conjunction with the Library of Virginia's annual Virginia Women in History awards celebration.
See the full press release on the monument announcement.
Thomas Jefferson Statue Dedication at State Capitol
The Board of Trustees of the Virginia Capitol Foundation announces that the long-anticipated statue of Thomas Jefferson will be dedicated on Friday, May 4, 2012. The Executive Committee of the 2007 Virginia Capitol Restoration and Extension Project charged the Virginia Capitol Foundation with the task of commissioning an original work of art representing Thomas Jefferson, the architect of the Virginia Capitol. Three distinguished Virginians - Tom Farrell, Bill Goodwin, Brent Halsey and their families - stepped forward to fund the project which has taken just over a year to complete. Ivan Schwartz, co-founder of StudioEIS, was tapped by the Foundation to create the original full-length bronze image. The statue, which will be on permanent display in the Capitol Extension, will serve as a guidepost, beckoning the more than 100,000 annual visitors to enter America’s first monument to democracy.
Capitol Guides will be available in the Capitol Extension Plaza throughout the day on Friday, May 4, and over the weekend to share details of the statue and answer questions. As always, the Capitol is open for tours seven days a week on the following schedule: Monday through Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (804) 698-1788 for more information.
Fouquet’s Historic Model of Virginia State Capitol Marks 225th Anniversary
The General Assembly recognized the 225th anniversary of the arrival in Richmond of the original Thomas Jefferson-commissioned model of the Capitol on February 28, 1787. With a Scale of 1:60, Fouquet’s plaster model, which is one of many artifacts still on display daily, was the working prototype for Virginia's State Capitol. Jefferson’s Capitol design marked the birth of the Classical Revival movement in America and has influenced the design of public buildings constructed in other cities throughout the United States and beyond. Its cornerstone laid in 1785, Virginia’s State Capitol is home to the oldest continuously elected law-making body in the Western Hemisphere.
New Capitol Virtual Tour Website
The General Assembly has released a state of the art virtual tours website that brings Virginia's State Capitol to the citizens of Virginia. The website provides online tours of both the Capitol Grounds and the Capitol Building. Visitors to this interactive website will have the ability to explore areas on their own or view video presentations.
Please note the virtual tours website requires the Adobe Flash Player. You can download the Flash Player at the Adobe website at no charge. If you do not have the Flash Player plug-in installed, you will be prompted to install it before any content is shown.
For visitors with special needs: An accessible segment of this website has been created for those visitors who use technology other than standard web browsers to view web content.
Civil Rights Memorial Unveiled on Capitol Square
On July 21, 2008, The Virginia Civil Rights Memorial was unveiled on Capitol Square. The Memorial is a privately financed, $2.6 million granite and bronze statue. It is the first statue on the grounds of the historic Capitol to include depictions of blacks and women in prominent roles.
The 18-figure sculpture called a "living memorial" by sculptor Stanley Bleifeld is meant to represent a key moment in the history of the civil-rights movement in Virginia. The new Memorial spotlights the African-American students in rural Prince Edward County whose 1951 walkout to protest their run-down school led to a lawsuit that was folded into the challenge that triggered the 1954 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court banning segregated public schools.
Among the figures on the Memorial is Oliver W. Hill, Sr. holding a rumpled legal brief aloft as he stands shoulder to shoulder with law partner Spottswood W. Robinson III. They took on the case of the Prince Edward County students who protested the shabby condition of their school. Barbara Johns was the one who called the school strike in 1951 and she is also featured. The student protests garnered support from the local community, benefiting from the moral leadership of the Rev. L. Francis Griffin, who is also a part of the memorial.
Jefferson's State Capitol and Poplar Forest Named as Sites On "U.S. Tentative World Heritage List"
The Virginia State Capitol, recently restored, and Poplar Forest, Jefferson's rural retreat in Bedford County, are among 14 sites in the U.S. selected for inclusion on a new U.S. World Heritage Tentative List, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced earlier this year. Inclusion on the U.S. list is "the necessary first step" toward being considered for inscription on the United Nations World Heritage List, "the most prestigious international recognition accorded to properties of global importance," Kempthorne said in his announcement.