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Today we shall give you a few facts which include figures—the latter of
which we have hitherto dealt out very stingily.
The lower part of the capitol is a square base, 437 feet each way, which
conceals four inner courts formally landscaped. The tower reaches into
the air 400 feet. The figure of the sower at the top is 20 feet tall and
stands on a 12-foot pedestal—a shock of corn on a sheaf of wheat. The
sower weighs about nine tons.
The four light colored pillars in the foyer are the largest single piece
marble columns in this country. They weigh approximately sixteen tons
each. The chandelier which hangs in the center of the building, is the
largest bronze chandelier of its type in the world. Its bell part is a
single piece of pure bronze, cast in New York City. The whole chandelier
weighs 3,500 pounds. It is 112 feet from the floor to the ceiling from
which the chandelier depends.
Gov. Samuel McKelvie broke ground for the new building April 15, 1922,
with Marshal Joffre of France as guest of honor. Dedicatory exercises
were held ten years later. The building cost $10,000,000 and is paid
for.
Guides who tell many interesting facts about the capitol make daily
trips thru the building, at 10:30, 2:00 and 3:30, excepting that on
Sunday the 10:30 tour is omitted.
No. 40—First Presbyterian church, 17th and F.
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In 1863 Elder Young founded the town of Lancaster—to become Lincoln four
years later—on his own 80 acre tract, which cornered Luke Lavender’s
farm at what is now 14th and O. The village was to extend from 14th to
7th and from O to Vine. As the far-sighted elder bent musingly over the
white paper which represented the future town he saw a city strong in
church life—and even predicted that it would some day be the capital of
Nebraska. Another dream was of a female seminary—either to induce
families with young ladies to come to the new town or to make prairie
damsels into suitable wives and mothers for his churchly city. Hovering
over the platted town his pencil finally came to rest at 9th and P as a
site for the seminary.
Many of the lots into which his farm was ribboned he gave to county and
school districts. Money from the others went into the seminary. That
institution burned in 1867, but Elder Young’s dream of a city of
churches was more enduring. Between 1866 and 1870 Congregational,
Methodist, Presbyterian, Christian, Baptist and Catholic churches were
organized and built. These were forerunners of present downtown
churches. Lincoln now has about 80 places of worship.
The First Presbyterian church was organized April 4, 1869. Its first two
buildings were supplanted in 1927 by the present beautiful structure,
one of whose distinctions is having been planned by the late Ralph Adams
Crams. Thus may it lay claim to special brotherhood with the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine and St. Thomas’ church of New York City.