The California building was of the Spanish renaissance style of
architecture. The broad steps that led up to the five large arches
which opened on to the wide portico or colonnade were eighty feet
long, and through any of the five broad doors that fronted the arches
visitors entered the main exhibition hall. This hall was one hundred
and forty feet square with gallery on all four sides twenty-one feet
high and thirty feet wide. Four flights of easy stairs, one at either
corner, led to the spacious gallery. Light was diffused from side
windows under the gallery and in the gallery high enough from the
floor so as not to interfere with the wall for exhibit purposes, and
from an iron-framed skylight sixty-four feet square. On either side
of the main building and in line with the front there were wings
thirty-two feet wide and thirty-five feet long. This gave a total
frontage to the building of two hundred and ten feet, or a little more
than two-thirds of an average city block. The wings were so arranged
as to provide a lecture hall, offices, parlor, reception room, buffet,
and living rooms for the Representatives and some of the employees.
The structure as a whole presented an imposing appearance and was
ideal for the purpose intended. It was designed and built by the State
Engineering Department, with an occasional inspection by one of the
Representatives. Builders figured on the plans and variously estimated
the cost at from $50,000 to $56,000. We had asked for a building to
cost not exceeding one-third of the appropriation. For a time we feared
the dimensions would have to be reduced, but State Engineer Ellery,
after figuring carefully on the job, expressed the opinion that he
could erect the structure as planned for an amount pretty close to our
figures. He was finally requested to go ahead with the work. He put one
of his trusted superintendents in charge, hired his help by the day,
and when completed as nearly as desired for exposition purposes, it was
found to have cost, including preparation of grounds and finishing of
lecture room, just $40,333.84, and it was better finished outside and
more substantially constructed than Exposition buildings usually are.