A look back at the Capitol’s history

BOISE -- It’s a big day at the Idaho Statehouse.

The capitol building has been looking more and more like a construction zone over the past couple of months.

Today, workers officially break ground on a multi-million dollar project to renovate and expand the downtown's centerpiece structure.

This project has been talked about for years and today it is officially underway.

You may have heard about the underground wings that are being built on either side of the building, but there are many more changes that will take place inside.

The statehouse is undergoing a renaissance.

One-hundred years ago, Boise was a very different town.  While dirt covered roads were still dotted with horse-drawn carriages, work started on a project that would become the center of Idaho's economic and political character. 

Crews finished the Statehouse center and dome first, then added an east and west wing in 1919.  One of the areas ancient landmarks, Table Rock, was used to help form the sandstone exterior of this modern icon.  Inside, workers shaped the rotunda's grand staircases and pillars with real and imitation marble. 

“State capitols at that time had to be showpieces, had to reflect the dignity of the state,” said architect Charles Hummel.

Hummel shares the same name with his grandfather, the man who helped pen the original design for the classical style building with partner J.E. Tourtelotte. 

“This was the most important big commission of the firm. There aren't many architectural firms that got to do a state capitol,” said Hummel.

Back then, the building housed nearly every branch of state government.  But today, space is at a premium and after decades of use, the Statehouse is poised for a renaissance. 

“Our goal is that the fixes and the things that we're doing right now will see this building into another hundred years,” said Jan Frue, project manager.

Outside, two underground wings will be added with larger hearing rooms and offices.  The signature east and west porticos will be dismantled to protect them during construction.

Throughout the Capitol, cracks in the signature pillars and banisters will be touched up, and these Corinthian-style capitols on top of the columns will be restored as well.

Perhaps two of the most visited, and most recognized rooms in the Statehouse -- the House and Senate chambers, will also get a makeover.  With new carpet, new chairs and new desks. 

“They'll be designed so that they look more like individual desks, they'll have detailing more similar to the front dias here,” said Frue.

And even rarely visited spots behind closed doors will also get new detail.  This section on the fourth floor was once called statuary hall.  Above, you can still see the old arched ceiling.

“Space was at such a premium for offices, that they sacrificed this beautiful space.  We're going to be putting it back into a statuary hall, it will be a very nice place for receptions,” said Frue.

The Statehouse will be closed to the public for more than two years.  Renovators say it’s a fair trade to help keep one of the state's most historic buildings functional for at least another century of Idaho history.   

“This large scale will mean that the systems will hopefully keep it viable and ready for the public for the next hundred years,” said Frue.

Construction begins next week.

The Statehouse officially closes to the public on May 23rd.