The Front Steps

• Capitol Hill Park: Over 40 acres of lawns, trees, flower beds, and shrubs surround the Capitol. From the south steps, you can see many Kwanzan trees that line the circle drive. The building is made of granite from quarries in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Richard Kletting, the architect of the Capitol building, modeled his design after our nation's capitol, but the building was also influenced by the designs of the Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Kentucky capitols. The dome is covered with a sheet of Utah copper, which was replaced in 1980 after a storm blew off a significant portion of the original roofing.
  
  
• Mountain Ranges: From the front steps, you can see the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains, which were named by the Ute Indians in their native language. Wasatch means "mountains of many rivers," and Oquirrh means "shining mountains."
  
  
• Mormon Battalion Monument: In 1846, 500 enlistees from the Mormon settlements in Council Bluffs, Iowa, marched 2,000 miles to fight in the Mexican conflict. By the time they reached the Mexican border in the summer, the conflict had been resolved, some members of the Battalion went on to California and helped start Sutter's Mill (where the gold rush began). The salary they received from their enlistment helped outfit Mormon families for their westward journey. In addition, those who served in the Mormon Battalion felt that they had proved their allegiance to the U.S. government by marching to serve in the Mexican conflict.
  
  
• Beehive Symbol: The many beehives in the Capitol's architecture represent industry and cooperation.
  
  
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• Chief Massasoit: He was a friend of the pilgrims who landed at Plymouth rock in the 17th century. A Utah sculptor, Cyrus Dallin, was commissioned by Massachusetts to make their state a sculpture of this Indian chief, which now stands on Coles Hill in Plymouth, MA. Dallin kept the cast from this statue and was commissioned to make a replica for Utah as well.
  
  
• Vietnam Memorial: This is the newest monument on the grounds. It commemorates the Utah natives who died serving in the Vietnam War, and is located on the west grounds. The statue was sculpted by Mark Davinport of American Fork. The sculpture has 388 names on the plaque.
  
  
• State Street: State Street runs 17 ½ miles south to the mountain, and the Salt Lake Valley is 25 to 30 miles wide.
  
  
• Council Hall (south of the Capitol) This building was completed in 1866. It cost $70,000 and was designed in the Federal Greek Revival school of architecture by William Folsom. The structure was originally located downtown (120 East 100 South) but in 1960 it was dismantled, its sandstone slabs carefully numbered, and then reconstructed at its present location. The hall was the meeting place for the territorial legislature for 30 years, and has served as police headquarters, the home of the Board of Health, and is now the office of the Utah Travel Council.
  
  
• White Chapel This LDS chapel was one of the first examples of Gothic Revival churches in the area to feature a steeple tower. Originally it was located on Second Avenue, but it was dismantled and reconstructed on Capitol Hill in 1980. The inside has been completely restored and is now owned by the state and used for nondenominational functions.