A century ago, on December 5, 1916, a group of state dignitaries crowded together on a small scaffold at the top of the dome of Missouri’s “new capitol” to officially place and seal the capstone.  This formal ceremony symbolized the nearing completion of the state capitol’s construction, which was precipitated five years before when lightning struck the dome of the previous capitol building, causing a fire that destroyed the structure.  Following voter approval to retain Jefferson City as the state’s capital, groundbreaking on the new capitol took place in 1913, and building progress quickly ensued.  Today, we commemorate these events in history by honoring those leaders, builders, and laborers who worked to make our present capitol a reality.

We’ve prepared a brief photo synopsis of the historic ceremony: Capping it all off: Building Progress on the Missouri State Capitol

For those interested in learning about the construction history of the building, visit our extensive centennial timeline.