4 minute read
Tour the New Jersey State House
BY CATHERINE BEST, NJ REALTORS® DIRECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
At our annual advocacy day, Realtors® Day in Trenton, our attendees had the opportunity to tour the recently renovated New Jersey State House. Follow along with us as we tour one of the oldest state houses in continuous use in the U.S.
The 3.75 acres of land on which the State House sits were purchased for just 250 British pounds, and the original structure was built in 1792 by Jonathan Doane. Since then, there have been 12 major reconstruction projects altering the original building, with the latest restoration projects wrapping up in 2023.
All facts are from nj.gov and the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services.
1 The State House dome was restored in 1999. 48,000 pieces of gold leaf now cover the iconic structure, all paid for with money raised by New Jersey school children through the Dimes for Dome program.
2 The Hall of Flags displays the county flags for all 21 of New Jersey’s counties.
3 The governor’s office is in the State House, just a few steps away from the rotunda.
4 The Renaissance Revival style dome is 105 feet from floor to ceiling and was rebuilt after a fire in the late 1880s and restored to its appearance between 1911 and 1913 during the recent renovation.
5 The floor of the rotunda features New Jersey’s State Seal, which was designed in 1777 and features Liberty, representing freedom, and the Roman goddess Ceres, representing agriculture and prosperity.
6 Golden eagles welcome you right as you enter the rotunda as a symbol of freedom and strength.
7 The rotunda features portraits of New Jersey’s governors.
8 Outside of the Assembly Chambers, photos of past assembly leaders adorn the walls.
9 The Assembly Chambers, where all 80 representatives vote on bills. The carpet is custom and features New Jersey’s symbols, such as the state tree, state flower, state insect, and state bird.
10 A light fixture hanging in the center of the Assembly Chambers, installed by Thomas Edison’s Electric Light Company in 1891.
11 When members of the Assembly vote on a bill, their decision will be on the board. Assembly members can vote yay, nay, or abstain.
12 Wall sconces in the Assembly Chambers were originally piped for gas but have since been converted.
13 The State Senate Chambers, where the Senate President presides over the 40 State Senators. The Senate President sits on the upper part of the dais, while the appointed Senate Secretary, who is not a legislator, sits on the lower portion.
14 In the Senate Chambers, the ceiling’s stained glass dome contains the names of New Jerseyans who contributed to the history of the state, such as William Livingston and John Witherspoon.
15 The murals in the Senate Chambers feature Liberty and Prosperity, the women in the state emblem, depicting New Jersey industries and scenes from the Revolutionary War.
