Tennessee Capitol Building

In 1826, Nashville became the permanent capital of Tennessee. However, construction of the capitol building didn't begin until 1843 and wasn't completed until 1853. The Capitol Building occupies the highest point in the downtown area, and the north side of the building, shown in this photo, overlooks Bicentennial Mall (yesterday's photo).

Architect William Strickland modeled the Capitol after a Greek Ionic temple, and the tower after the Lysicrates monument in Athens. Walls, both interior and exterior, are limestone, while Strickland used marble and cast iron inside the structure. Strickland passed away about a year before the building's completion, and he is entombed above the cornerstone.

Nashville was the first state capital to fall to the Union Army during the Civil War, and from 1862-65, the Capitol served as headquarters for Ft. Andrew Johnson.