Lincoln, NE

The Corn Husker State has built itself a distinctive, yet impressive capitol and I respect the fact that it decided to go its own way with a very unique design. Instead of following the example of most states in building an homage to the U.S. Capitol, Nebraska went with putting the Daily Planet tower atop a very large square bank.

Completed in 1932, it consists of a square base that surrounds a 400-foot tower, making it the second tallest state capitol. When it was built it was the tallest, but subsequently Governor Huey Long was quite insistent that the Louisiana state capitol be taller.

It was also built with very midwestern sensibilities as the square base was built around the former capitol allowing state operations to continue inside. This saved the state money by not requiring a temporary off-campus rental. The former capitol was then carefully demolished with the above-mentioned tower built in its place. It was also built in stages to allow pay-as-you-go financing. And when built there were numerous murals spaced throughout the building, spaces that were not filled with murals due to Great Depression.

The unmuraled spaces not only served as a budgeting device but as an artistic one. This has caused the building's murals to span the years 1927 to 1996, thus allowing for some rather modern murals, unlike most other capitols which have a stuck-in-time feel to them - think men in wigs and knee socks, the noble savage and a statue of Lincoln¹. Though I wish they had not filled in all the “muralcoves,” so that the interior art could continue to evolve along with the Tree Planters State.

All that and some beautiful views of Lincoln from the observation deck (which unfortunately contains murals that look like bad Normal Rockwell knockoffs).   

As interesting as it is unrelated, immediately after completion, the state abolished the lower house and making Nebraska the only unicameral legislature in the country.  

Endnotes:

¹ Actually there is a statue of our 16th President (a Republican btw, most people don’t even know that) on the grounds of the capitol. And sculpted by the same guy who sculpted the Lincoln Monument.

03.17.2023