Virginia State Capitol
- Architects
- Thomas Jefferson Charles-Louis Clérisseau
- Year
- 1785
- City
- Richmond, VA
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The Virginia State Capitol was designed by Thomas Jefferson with Charles-Louis Clérisseau and completed in 1785 as the seat of Virginia's government, a role it has held ever since. Jefferson modeled it on a Roman temple form, making it one of the first classical temple-form government buildings in the United States and an influential prototype for American civic architecture. It dominates Capitol Square with a prominent classical facade.
the building
Temple-form design. Jefferson's design translates a Roman temple into a government building, an approach that had few precedents in the United States when it was built in 1785. The type went on to influence classical government buildings across the country.
the style
The building is a textbook example of Palladian architecture, filtered through Jefferson's admiration for Roman temple forms.
More on High Renaissance / Palladianthe architect
Thomas Jefferson designed the Capitol with the collaboration of Charles-Louis Clérisseau, a French architect and draftsman. Both are counted among nationally significant architects of the era.
significance
The Virginia State Capitol is a National Historic Landmark, a Virginia Historic Landmark, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has served as the seat of Virginia's government continuously since 1785.
nearby
- Governor’s Mansion
- Old City Hall
- Capitol Square Bell Tower
- George Washington Building
- Charlotte Williams Memorial Hospital
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church