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Saturday, August 15, 2020

Arizona 4

This is the Arizona State Capitol building and the amount of copper required to make the copper dome is equal to 4.8 million pennies. The building is made largely from materials indigenous to Arizona, including Malapai, granite, and the copper dome. The design is optimized for the desert climate of Arizona, with thick masonry walls that insulate the interior, skylights, and round bullseye clerestory windows to let heat out out the legislative chambers. The building is topped with a weather vane similar to the winged victory of Samothrace visible through a skylight from within the rotunda.

It was built in 1900 on 2 acres. It is now the Arizona State capitol museum and has many amazing displays but most notable is the enormous silver and copper punch bowl service from USS Arizona, as well as a bronze sculpture that was ensconced outside the Admiral's stateroom and used as a centerpiece at state dinners wherever USS Arizona was docked. Both of these historical artifacts survived the sinking of Arizona because they had been removed from the ship for cleaning prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The punch bowl service is the only one of its kind and is composed of etched copper panels depicting desert scenes set into a silver bowl ornamented with mermaids, dolphins, waves and other nautical themes.
The monument in the front of the building is of Lt. Frank Luke Jr., a pilot in World War 1

I have lived in Phoenix for 52 years now and have never visited this place, maybe I ought to get going:)

4 comments:

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I'm partial to punchbowls and tht one is amazing. To me they mean a party. It is truly a celebration in itself.

Debbie said...

that often happens that we miss out on visiting those places close by to us!! i have lived in my home town my entire life but have recently longed to spread my wings and move away!!

it is a beautiful building, that is a very cool cactus in the front!!!

Mari said...

Beautiful building and such an interesting punchbowl!

The Liberty Belle said...

Wow! You certainly couldn't find a punch bowl set like that at WalMart! It's beautiful.