1996 Texas Capitol Ornament

1996 First Edition Capitol Ornament, South Entrance

This is the 1996 Texas Capitol Ornament, the first edition in a series spanning more than 30 years of Texas history. It features the south facade of the Texas Capitol Building under the great dome of the Texas Capitol Building.

Located on the square originally selected as the site of the Capitol of the Republic of Texas, the State Capitol is more than just another building to Texans. The Capitol stands as a testimonial to the early Texans whose dream of a glorious future is represented in its grandeur. The triumphal entry arch of the South Entrance is an imposing and familiar sight. Having more land than money, the State's early leaders traded 3,050,000 acres of undeveloped land in the Texas Panhandle to a Chicago company. They organized the Capitol Syndicate to oversee the construction of the Capitol while developing their new land holdings into the famous XIT ranch.

When completed in 1888, the building covered over two acres of ground and had approximately eighteen acres of floor space designed by Detroit Architect E. E. Myers. The magnificent structure reportedly had 392 rooms, 924 windows, 404 doors, and 18 vaults and was the largest of all state capitols. The monumental Goddess of Liberty statue reigns atop the building as its crowning ornament, raising the structure several feet taller than the National Capitol. The Texas Capitol is approximately 566 feet across, 288 feet deep, and 300 feet high from the grade line to the top of the star, which is gilded with 23k gold leaf.

The material chosen for the exterior walls is Texas "Sunset Red" granite, while the interior walls are Texas Limestone. The dome consists of outer and inner shells of galvanized metal and cast iron; the roof, encompassing 85,000 square feet, is made of copper. Inside the Capitol, a multitude of cast iron columns in the Statehouse, and hand cast decorative plasterwork trims the 22 foot and higher ceilings.

Shaped in the form of a modified Greek cross, the Texas Capitol features a rotunda and dome at the intersection of the main corridors on the first floor. In 1936, a colorful terrazzo floor was installed in the rotunda commemorating Texas' independence. The design depicts the six nations whose flags have flown over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the United States of America. The rotunda, which is 60 feet in diameter, rises through four spectacular floors of ornate detail to a circa 1950's golden Lone Star that spells out the word "Texas" between its points.

More than a million people a year view the Lone Star on their visit to the Capitol, a majestic building that is a living museum of history as well as the center of State Government.

Supplies of this ornament are extremely limited. Once they are sold out, they will be unavailable forever more. We are are releasing the final stock of these original ornaments from our archive in response to consumer requests. Sales from this exclusive ornament support the ongoing preservation and interpretation of the Texas Capitol as well as exhibitions and educational programming at the Bullock Texas State History Museum. Collect this commemorative piece of Texas history and help the statehouse maintain its beauty for generations to come.