Vermont, the 14th state in the union, chose Montpelier as the state capital because of its central location and accessibility to the nearby Winooski River. The first State House, a traditional wooden meetinghouse, was open from 1808-1835, and then moved and expanded to a nearby, larger space from 1836-1856, until a fire destroyed most of the State House in January of 1857. The third, and current, State House was completed in 1859, built in an Italian Renaissance revival style, with all features made from masonry and cast iron; only the dome (57 feet high and covered in gold leaf) is made of wood. (Even the doors and staircase railing were painted to look like mahogany!)
The Vermont Senate Chamber, which has 30 members, is the oldest senate chamber in America that is still actively used and still has all of the original furniture and lighting from 1859 (except for two filing cabinets and a computer). The 150 member House Chamber is the largest room in the State House. Vermont legislators have no private offices at the State House; they conduct business at their chamber desks or in groups in large committee rooms on the first floor. And unlike most state Capitols, there is no rotunda inside the Vermont State House, the dome is an exterior ornament.
Hubbard Park, located behind the State House, is home to walking trails, a fitness trail, an interpretive trail, a 54 foot stone tower, and picnic shelters. The State House complex welcomes visitors all year and encourages exploration of its grounds.
