Alabama State Capitol Building

One of the only state capitols designated a National Historic Landmark, the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery is where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America. It was also the scene of the Montgomery civil rights march which ended with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivering a moving speech from the top of its steps.

The historic Senate and House of Representatives Chambers, the old Supreme Court Chambers and the original governor's office have all been restored to their Confederate-era appearance. Guided tours are available Mon. - Sat. Free Admission.

The above picture of the Capitol Building was taken in early December as the State Christmas Tree was being decorated - a 30-foot red cedar harvested in Choctaw County.Below is an interior shot I took on the same visit, looking up at the Rotunda.


In 1926 the newly formed Alabama Arts Commission retained Roderick MacKenzie, a Scottish-born artist living in Mobile, Alabama, to design a series of murals to be installed beneath the Capitol Dome. The work was completed in July of 1930. Today the murals are as interesting for reflecting the way in which Alabama history was depicted in the early 20th century as for their intrinsic artistic merit. The themes of the eight murals are as follows:

1. Hostile Meeting of Desoto, Spanish Explorer and Tuscaloosa Indian Chieftian - 1540.
2. French Establishing First White Colony in Alabama Under Iberville and Bienville, Mobile, 1702-1711.
3. Surrender of William Weatherford, Hostile Creek Leader, to General Andrew Jackson - 1814.
4. Pioneer Home-seekers Led into the Alabama Wilderness by Sam Dale - 1816.
5. Governor William Wyatt Bibb and Committee Drafting the First State Constitution at Huntsville, 1819.
6. Wealth and Leisure Produce the Golden Period of Antebellum Life in Alabama, 1840-1860.
7. Secession and the Confederacy, Inauguration of President Jefferson Davis, 1861.
8. Prosperity Follows the Development of Resources Agriculture, Commerce and Industry, 1874-1930.