The Capitol has a framework of steel set in walls of brick and stone, supported by columns of granite and marble. The framework as well as the floors, partitions, and roof are protected against fire by hollow tile.The exterior walls are of grayish white Georgia marble, and the foundation, terraces, outside balustrades, and steps are of gray granite from the quarries of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The interior walls are of Minnesota limestone from Kasota and Mankato. Until Cass Gilbert discovered it could be polished to shine like marble, this limestone had never been used as an interior finish. The pillars around the rotunda on the second floor are of two types of Minnesota granite — gray-blue from St. Cloud and reddish-brown from Ortonville. The band of red stone encircling the rotunda above the pillars is Minnesota pipestone, from which the Indians made their calumets or peace pipes. Marble is the only stone used in the building which is not found in the state. Over twenty different marbles, imported from all over the world appear in the fireplaces, the decorative patterns on the floor, and in the pillars and balustrades surrounding the main staircases. Mahogany and Minnesota white oak are used for the woodwork. The design for the Capitol is Italian Renaissance in style.
Dimensions
Length — 432 feet, 10 inches, excluding stéps
Width — 228 feet, 3 inches, excluding steps
Height of dome from ground — 220 feet
Diameter of the rotunda — 60 feet
Height of rotunda 142 feet from top of first floor pav-
ing to inner vaulting
Total cubical content — 5,060,965 cubic feet
