- It's a masterpiece
of design and engineering.
- They wanted it to be
a symbol of self-rule.
- A very high-minded,
idealized notion
of democracy.
- Designed by
an American master.
- This was the crowning gem
in his life's work.
- And filled
with priceless artwork.
- It's Wisconsin's
most valuable work of art.
There's nothing like it.
- It's a state capitol
that was created for all of us.
- I always think of it
as the most public building
in Wisconsin.
- It's always open
365 days out of the year.
- After a catastrophe
ruined its predecessor.
- An hour after the fire starts,
it's lighting up the sky.
- The Capitol would face
its own disaster.
- There were actually
parts of the mosaics
that leaned forward.
- The whole thing was
at risk of crumbling down.
- And it would take
a massive 12-year effort
to save the building.
- The restoration
of this building was important
because this is a masterpiece.
- This National
Historic Landmark
is one of the most admired
capitols in the country.
I'm going to discover
its remarkable history,
explore its grand spaces,
and uncover
a few of its hidden secrets.
- This is the story of
Our House:
The Wisconsin Capitol
- Our House:
The Wisconsin Capitol
is funded
in part by
Ron and Colleen Weyers,
Francis A. and Georgia F.
Ariens Fund
within the Brillion Area
Family of Funds,
the Conney Family,
in loving memory
of Mildred Conney,
Edvest College Savings Plan,
helping families save
since 1997,
the Eleanor and Thomas
Wildrick Family,
Roger and Lynn Van Vreede,
American Transmission Company,
National Guardian
Life Insurance Company,
and Friends of
Wisconsin Public Television.
♪ ♪
- The Wisconsin State Capitol
was conceived just after
the turn of the century
in an era
of American optimism.
States were building
ever more grand capitols
to express their success, pride,
and democratic ideals.
If Europe's palaces
were made for monarchs,
America was building them
for its people.
When it came time for Wisconsin
to build such a palace,
it would be one for the ages.
Since its completion in 1917,
the Wisconsin Capitol
has contained
the state's four branches
of government.
Its symmetrical form
creates a unique balance
between the spaces
of the Governor,
Senate,
Assembly,
and Supreme Court.
- Everything is equal
in that building.
Every aspect of government
is weighted equally.
No one wing is more important
than the other wing.
- This uniformity
is made possible
because the Capitol
is arranged
in a shape known as
a St. Andrew's Cross.
- St. Andrew's Cross
is essentially an X.
Here at our capitol,
it lines up
with the points of the compass
and also the streets
that are coming towards
the Capitol.
- It's the only capitol
in the country laid out this way
♪ ♪
making it notoriously
bewildering to navigate.
[mischievous music]
- It's a mirror this way
at 90 degrees
and it's a mirror
at 180.
So, it's inherently confusing
and you can get
entirely turned around
and end up in a different place
in the city than you intended.
[laughing]
- You can get
very easily turned around.
But that's not necessarily
a bad thing.
- The Capitol's layout
also creates many access points.
And all of these entrances feed
into a central circular area
called the Rotunda.
- This is the Capitol's
premier public space.
The Rotunda is immense in scale.
Natural light pours in from
skylights in the wings and the
dome's 19-foot tall
cathedral windows.
The space is intended
to draw our eyes upward.
Fitting for a building
designed to inspire us.
- The Rotunda is a big part
of why the Capitol attracts
hundreds of thousands
of visitors each year.
- We call our Rotunda
the "living room" for a reason.
That's because it's always open
365 days out of the year.
People can come in
and get married here,
we have blood drives here,
we have school groups here.
It is one of
the most public features
of the state of Wisconsin.
- The Capitol is
and always was
meant to be a public building.
From the time it was built,
it was referred to casually as,
quote,
"the people's house,"
which was a phrase
that originated
a hundred years earlier
with the White House
in the early 19th century.
It fit the idea of
how the building should be used.
Even if you look at it
architecturally,
there are doors everywhere.
It's meant to be
an open public building.
- It brings people in.
It invites people in.
Accessibility is
kind of its theme.
The capitol was basically
designed and placed
within the cityscape
to express the notion
of accessibility.
- Many of our rooms
can be reserved
by people who get permits.
Weddings can happen here.
Retirement parties happen here.
I've myself
signed as a witness
for at least two different
marriage certificates,
just from working here
for two years.
Even if the legislators
are meeting,
even if the governor
is signing a bill,
it's still open to everyone.
[traffic sounds]
- The people's house
seems perfectly placed
in the heart of Madison.
But the Capitol and the city
would not exist
except for one man.
Frontier judge and
land speculator James Duane Doty
traveled to this area
in the spring of 1836.
To him, it was
wild and unsettled.
But he envisioned
a city here
and drafted a plat,
or map, of its layout.
Wisconsin became
a U.S. territory that summer,
and a convention
was called
to form a constitution.
One important
order of business
was choosing
a capital city
among the twenty sites
proposed.
Doty, one of the delegates,
had a plan.
- Doty presented his map
to fellow delegates,
promising them lots
in exchange for votes.
When it came time to vote
for a site to be the capital,
16 of the 39 men
owned property in Madison,
a city that didn't even exist.
- And that was enough
to tip the scales
and Madison was chosen.
Now whether that
should be called bribery
or just good politicking
is for the beholder to decide.
- Madison's first capitol
building was constructed
on the square
Doty had earmarked.
By the time Wisconsin
achieved statehood in 1848,
this cold and leaky capitol
had earned
the uncomplimentary nickname
"Doty's washbowl".
Its replacement
was completed in 1869.
Over the next four decades,
the second state capitol
would receive numerous
expansions and updates,
especially to
its fire prevention technology.
- By the turn
of the century,
the second Madison capitol
was considered to be
a state of the art
fireproof building.
- But in the early morning
of February 27, 1904,
a newly-varnished ceiling
caught fire
and the system
catastrophically failed.
- An hour after
the fire starts,
it's lighting up the sky
in Madison
and people are streaming
out of their houses
to come try to help.
- By the time the fire was out,
the Wisconsin Capitol
was in ruins.
No had died,
but it was a devastating loss
for the state.
Governor Robert "Fighting Bob"
La Follette
would cheerlessly write
to a friend,
"I have no doubt
the citizens of Wisconsin
will insist on having
an entirely new building
put up in its stead.
Nevertheless,
I shall regret to see it go."
- At this point
in the early 20th century,
Wisconsin had a high self-esteem
and booming economy.
- It's right at the height
of the Gilded Age.
Wisconsin has become
a tremendous success,
and they wanted this capitol
to be a symbol of that success.
- And other states,
like Minnesota,
were building
grandiose new capitols.
- Wisconsin was not going to be
left behind
in the design of the building
that it was going to have to
mark its place
as one of the premier state
capitols in the country.
- The stage was set
for Wisconsin
to make its own statement.
A committee appointed
by Governor La Follette,
called
the Capitol Commission,
would oversee
this ambitious endeavor.
- The Capitol Commission
requested proposals
from architectural firms
all across the country.
They wanted a grand
and monumental building.
And they would find
the perfect architect
to achieve that vision
in George Post.
- By the turn of the century,
George Browne Post of New York
was a leading figure
in American architecture.
- He was known
in Manhattan
for designing and having built
really tall office buildings
using structural steel.
So, he was considered very much
an innovator in that regard
and sometimes referred to
as the father
of the later skyscraper.
- Post had recently completed
the New York Stock Exchange
and, in his late sixties,
was actively seeking
a large public project
to seal his legacy.
- He always wanted to build
a capitol, and this was it.
This was the crowning gem
in his life's work.
- But building it
would be a challenge.
The Capitol's huge cost
of over $7 million,
would have to be
spread out
over a decade.
And there was
another significant obstacle.
- They didn't start
with a blank slate
like many capitols do.
They were constructing
this capitol
while they were taking down
the old capitol
that had burned.
- To spread out costs,
and also
keep government running
in the old capitol's
salvaged wings,
the construction project
would proceed in five stages
over 11 years.
It got underway in 1906.
And overseeing
this massive endeavor
was Madison architect
Lew Porter.
His assignment was as monumental
as the building itself.
- If you've ever remodeled
your house and put in a bathroom
or built a house
from scratch
you know what goes into
starting with paper plans
and watching a 3-dimensional
building rise from them.
Multiply that
a thousand-fold
and you have
Lew Porter's job.
125 separate jobs
had been identified--
plumbing, electricity,
painting, whatever.
And on any given day,
30 to 40 of those contractors
were at work
on the site.
- With Post usually in New York,
making sure every detail
was done exactly as specified
fell to Porter.
- He insisted that
artisans, craftsmen, plumbers,
joiners, carpenters
all live up to
the very exacting standard
Post had pretty much demanded
for the building.
- One day
he noticed that
a railing in one
of the stairways of the Capitol
as it was being built
seemed a little odd.
And he looked
at the specs,
it called for the railing
to be solid brass.
He got out a hacksaw
and he tore into it
and in fact
it was only brass plated.
And, of course,
he had it dismantled
and sent back
to the vendor
and it was replaced
with a solid brass one.
- Post carefully selected
materials
that would maximize beauty
and visual appeal.
Marble, granite, and limestone,
quarried from dozens of sites
around the world,
were used to create
a spectacular display
of color and patterns.
And each major chamber
was distinguished
by marble and granite
found nowhere else
in the Capitol,
to ensure
each of these spaces
would have
a character all its own.
- For the exterior,
Post wanted marble,
but the cost
was simply too high.
So, Post, Lew Porter,
and the Capitol Commission
toured a number of quarries
out east.
They chose a stone
quarried in Vermont
called White Bethel granite.
- This granite covers
the entire exterior
of the building.
Even the four statuary groups
at the base of the dome
are sculpted from it.
As sections of the Capitol
were built,
they were put to use.
When the west wing
was finished in 1909,
the legislature
began meeting there.
In 1915, two years before
the Capitol was completed,
guides began giving tours
to the public.
It's a tradition
that has continued
for over a century.
- You know what?
That would be
a really good question
to ask our tour guide later,
is, "How much stone it was?"
- Wow!
- How did it get up there?
- Big ladders.
- Welcome to
the Wisconsin State Capitol.
My name is Jason,
and we're going to
take the stairs.
You can follow me up this way.
The title
of that painting is
"The Resources
of Wisconsin."
In the center,
there is a lady with red hair.
What's her name?
- Wisconsin.
- Wisconsin!
She represents our state.
- Well, I really like
sharing the stories.
So, I used to do theater
back in high school,
and I also am a historian
by trade.
Being able to share the history
and being able to share
that information with people
in a story format
is my favorite thing.
- If they try to speak
over their thirty minutes,
the justices will interrupt
and say, "Excuse me!
[banging table
to imitate a gavel]
Your time is over.
Please sit down!"
Thirty minutes to change
the laws of the state.
- Each year, 50,000 students
from schools around the state
make a field trip
to the Capitol.
- This is my students'
favorite thing to do each year.
I think that the information
that's given on the tours here
is excellent.
- The first electronic voting
system installed in this room
was the original electronic
voting system in the world.
It was here in Wisconsin
before anywhere else.
- A Capitol tour is packed
with state history
and interesting facts,
but it's often
the little details
that are most memorable.
- We have a fossilized starfish
in the staircase.
No matter how many tours I give,
that's always
the most memorable piece
that people come back for.
But besides the fossil,
I would say also
the ghost in the Assembly.
- Now when this painting was
finished by Mr. Edwin Blashfield
we said it's very beautiful,
we really like it,
but it's just not Wisconsin
enough.
So, we made him go back
and add one animal
to make it
more Wisconsin.
What animal did he add?
- Badger.
- The badger.
So over here
on the right side
he added this badger
to the rock.
But, of course,
when you add something
to a painting
you have to paint over top
of something else.
And what he removed
was a fourth Civil War soldier.
That soldier
did not like the decision
and so he came back as a ghost
to haunt us.
Do you wanna see the ghost?
- Yeah!
- Hat, ear, and shoulder.
And that's the ghost
of the Assembly.
But he's a friendly ghost.
- This should be a priority
for all kids to visit,
to see how
our state government runs
and how we should be
so proud of this capitol
that was built for us.
>> MY.
I'M JON MISKOWSKI, DIRECTOR OF
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION AND
WE'RE WATCHING "OUR HOUSE" AND
OUR HOST IS MICHAEL BRIDGEMAN.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM.
STAY WITH US.
WE'D LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO
SUPPORT WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION AND THE PROGRAMS ON
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
WITH A GIFT OF $8 A MONTH, WE
HAVE THE DVD OF "OUR HOUSE."
MICHAEL, TELL US ABOUT THE
PROGRAM.
>> WELL, YOU'VE SEEN THE FIRST
PART OF THE PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE KNEW WE HAD
TO DO WAS SHOW KIDS IN THE
CAPITOL.
SO MANY SCHOOL CHILDREN COME TO
THE CAPITOL EVERY YEAR AND THEY
ALL JUST LOVE IT.
THEY LOVE THE ROTUNDA.
THEY FLY ON THE FLOOR.
AND THEY LOVE LOOKING UP AT THE
DOME.
IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO WATCH THE
KIDS WHEN THEY'RE THERE BECAUSE
THEY STILL HAVE A SENSE OF
WONDER ABOUT THIS STUFF.
SOME OF OUR ADULTS ARE A LITTLE
MORE JADED OR USED TO IT.
AS OFTEN AS I'VE BEEN IN THE
CAPITOL WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM,
I STILL SAW NEW THINGS TO SEE
ABOUT IT.
>> THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT
THIS PROGRAM IS THAT BUILDING IS
REALLY HARD TO TAKE FOR GRANTED,
MAYBE SOMETIMES WE GET CLOSE TO
TAKING IT FOR GRANTED, THE
WORKMANSHIP, DESIGN THAT'S
EXPRESSED IN THIS PROGRAM.
YOU'LL NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED
AGAIN.
THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO CALL AND
SUPPORT WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION WITH YOUR PLEDGE TO
1-800-236-3636.
>> MY.
I'M STEPHANIE ELKINS.
I AM ONE OF THE MUSIC HOSTS ON
WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO AND A
VOLUNTEER HERE FOR WISCONSIN
PUBLIC TELEVISION.
WHAT A GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS
PROGRAM, ANOTHER BEAUTY FROM
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
KUDOS TO THE PRODUCTION TEAM AS
USUAL.
WE HAVE GOT A FANTASTIC GIFT FOR
YOU.
WE'VE GOT, FOR A PLEDGE OF $8 A
MONTH OR MORE, THE DVD OF WHAT
YOU'RE SEEING THIS EVENING,
WHICH IS NOT ONLY THE DVD OF
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THIS EVENING,
BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL
DOCUMENTARY THAT WAS MADE IN
1999 ABOUT THE RESTORATION OF
THE CAPITOL.
SO YOU GET A DOUBLE DVD.
THAT'S FOR YOUR PLEDGE OF $8 A
MONTH OR MORE.
AND FOR A PLEDGE OF $10 A MONTH,
WE'LL SEND YOU A BOOK CALLED
"THE WISCONSIN CAPITOL."
IT COMES TO YOU FROM THE
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PRESS.
FOR $13 A MONTH OR MORE WE'LL
SEND YOU BOTH THE DVD AND THE
BOOK.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
DURING THIS WONDERFUL PROGRAM
ABOUT OUR CAPITOL.
WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL
OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING, THE
CENTENNIAL OF THE CAPITOL.
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE
RIGHT NOW AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> AND I'M AGAIN MICHAEL
BRIDGEMAN, THE HOST OF THIS
PROGRAM, WHICH I HAD A GREAT
TIME WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM,
BECAUSE IT WAS A CHANCE TO SEE
THE CAPITOL IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I ESPECIALLY LIKED SOME OF THE
BEHIND-THE-SCENES STUFF THAT WE
SAW BEHIND THE SKYLIGHTS AND SO
ON.
BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE DON'T SEE
THAT.
YOU'LL SEE IT AS PART OF THE
PROGRAM TONIGHT.
I'M GLAD I'VE BEEN A PART OF
MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO
SEE THAT.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE
SUPPORTERS OF WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE
FOR THIS ORGANIZATION TO DO
PROGRAMS ABOUT OUR STATE LIKE
"OUR HOUSE."
NO ONE ELSE IS GOING TO DO THIS
KIND OF STUFF AND NO ONE ELSE IS
GOING TO DO IT NEARLY AS WELL.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH TAKING
ALL THE FABULOUS VIDEO YOU'RE
SEEING.
MOST ARE PEOPLE MUCH MORE
SKILLED THAN I.
BUT THEY'VE DONE A TERRIFIC JOB.
AND IT BRINGS OUT THE BEAUTY OF
THE BUILDING IN A WONDERFUL WAY.
SO I THINK IT'S WELL WORTH YOUR
SUPPORT, FRANKLY.
AND I KNOW YOU CAN SHOW YOUR
SUPPORT BY CALLING RIGHT NOW AT
1-800-236-3636.
>> THANKS, MICHAEL.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALLS.
THE ONE ASPECT OF THIS PROGRAM
THAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING TONIGHT
IS AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT THAT
WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WISCONSIN
SCHOOLS.
WE WANT TO THANK JIM FROM EDVEST
FOR JOING US.
WE HAVE COMMON CAUSE IN OUR
ASPIRATIONS FOR EDUCATING THE
STATE.
>> I'D LIKE TO THANK WPT FOR
HAVING US HERE AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO PARTNER
WITH WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION
AND YOUR PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS.
>> YEAH.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT SAVING FOR MY
BOYS, I WAS INSPIRED BY MY
SISTER, A LITTLE YOUNGER THAN ME
AND HER CHILDREN WERE YOUNGER
THEN, BUT THAT WAS A LONG TIME
AGO.
SO WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
INVESTING?
WHEN TO DO IT.
>> THE IMPORTANT THING HERE,
JON, YOU CAN START EARLY OR
LATER.
EVEN IF THEY'RE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
OR HIGH SCHOOL YOU MIGHT AS WELL
START.
FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT YOU SAVE
BEFORE COLLEGE, PROBABLY
TRANSLATES INTO $2 YOU WOULD
HAVE TO PAY BACK LATER ON WITH
LOANS AND INTEREST AND TIME AND
THAT SORT OF THING.
ANYTHING HELPS AT THE BEGINNING.
>> WE KNOW ABOUT THE CHALLENGE
OF STUDENT DEBT.
YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON THAT
WITH PARENTS ACROSS THE STATE.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORT OF THIS
PROGRAM.
AND THANK YOU FOR CALLING WITH
YOUR PLEDGE TO 1-800-236-3636.
>> WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING BACK
TO THE PROGRAM IN JUST A FEW
MINUTES BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE
ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS
ORIGINAL KIND OF PROGRAM.
THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IS GORGEOUS.
EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS TOPNOTCH
AND HIGH-QUALITY.
WE HAVE THE DVD OF THE PROGRAM
THAT YOU'RE WATCHING AND IN
ADDITION TO THAT IT'S CALLED
"OUR HOUSE: THE WISCONSIN
CAPITOL" AN ADDITIONAL
DOCUMENTARY MADE BY WPT A FEW
YEARS AGO ABOUT THE RESTORATION
OF THE CAPITOL.
YOU'LL GET BOTH OF THOSE FOR
YOUR PLEDGE OF $8 A MONTH OR
MORE.
FOR A PLEDGE OF $10 A MONTH, WE
HAVE THE WISCONSIN CAPITOL BY
THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PRESS.
IT'S GOT WONDERFUL HISTORY OF
THE CAPITOL, LOTS OF PHOTOS.
FOR A PLEDGE OF $13 A MONTH OR
MORE, WE'LL SEND YOU BOTH THE
DVD OF THE DOCUMENTARIES PLUS
THE BOOK.
AND WHAT A LEGACY THESE ARE.
OUR CAPITOL IS A LEGACY.
IT'S A JEWEL AMONG ALL CAPITOLS.
AND TO SHARE THIS WITH YOUR
FRIENDS AND YOUR FAMILY WOULD BE
JUST TERRIFIC.
SO GIVE US A CALL AT
1-800-236-3636.
>> WE CHOSE TO DO THE PROGRAM
ABOUT THE CAPITOL THIS YEAR
BECAUSE IT'S THE CENTENNIAL.
100 YEARS AGO IS WHEN THIS
CAPITOL WAS FINISHED, COMPLETED.
AND IT'S ALSO, INTERESTINGLY
ENOUGH, 100 YEARS AGO THAT
PUBLIC BROADCASTING GOT ITS
START WITH THE INITIAL RADIO
BROADCAST HERE IN WISCONSIN.
AND SO WHAT WE SEE TODAY ON
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION GOES
BACK TO THAT PERIOD IN A WAY.
AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR
THAT.
BUT THE CAPITOL IS A VERY
SPECIAL PLACE.
I THINK WE'VE CAPTURED THAT IN
THIS PROGRAM.
I HOPE YOU AGREE AND THAT YOU
APPRECIATE THAT AND RECOGNIZE
THAT YOUR SUPPORT MAKES THIS
POSSIBLE.
SO CALL, PLEASE, 1-800-236-3636.
>> IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THE PHONES
RING AND I'M HERE WITH JESS AND
JIM FROM EDVEST, SUPPORTERS OF
THIS PROJECT.
I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY REGRET
GIVING TO PUBLIC TELEVISION.
I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT YET.
I SUPPOSE IT'S THE SAME WAY.
IN OUR OWN FAMILY STARTING OUR
SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR OUR
CHILDREN, WE DIDN'T REGRET IT.
SO STARTING IT IS A REALLY GOOD
IDEA.
YOU HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR PEOPLE
TO GET STARTED.
>> YEAH.
STARTING EARLY WITH EDVEST IS
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU
CAN DO FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR
STUDENTS.
IT'S REALLY SIMPLE.
IT'S EASY TO OPEN UP AN ACCOUNT.
IT'S ABOUT $15 ONLINE AT
EDVEST.COM.
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS START AN
ACCOUNT WITH $25 OR LESS.
IT MAKES AN EXCELLENT GIFT WITH
BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS, ALL
DIFFERENT KINDS OF CELEBRATIONS.
IT TAKES ABOUT TEN MINUTES WITH
YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OF
THE CHILD.
IT'S WISCONSIN'S COLLEGE SAVINGS
PROGRAM.
IT'S BEST IF YOU CAN START
EARLY.
THERE'S NO TIME TO WASTE WHEN
YOU'RE TRYING TO BUILD UP A NEST
EGG FOR STUDENTS.
ABOUT 87% OF WISCONSIN FAMILIES
REALLY APPRECIATE GIVING THE
GIFT OF COLLEGE.
SO RIGHT NOW WE CAN JUST
ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE THE
TIME TO GIVE US A CALL.
WE HAVE OUR EDVEST COLLEGE
SAVINGS SPECIALIST AT EDVEST.COM
ALL SET UP AND READY TO GO.
>> GREAT.
WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE
PROGRAM NOW.
APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND
YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS WONDERFUL
PROGRAM.
WE'RE GOING BACK TO "OUR HOUSE"
AND CELEBRATE THIS CENTENNIAL OF
OUR CAPITOL.
- For citizens young and old,
the Wisconsin Capitol
was designed to instill
a sense of awe and importance.
Public buildings constructed
at this time in America
followed grandiose
classical examples
from Greece, Rome,
and the Renaissance.
- Why did this
lavish classical style
become the norm
for government buildings?
A clue can be found here
at the western approach
to the Capitol.
It's a statue called "Forward,"
and it's from
the Columbian Exposition
in 1893.
Now, that might seem
unrelated to our Capitol.
But actually, it has everything
to do with it.
- The Chicago World's Fair
of 1893,
also known as
the Columbian Exposition,
featured a temporary metropolis
conceived by America's
top artists and architects,
including George Post.
- You have a gathering
of major architects
who are coming together
to create what was known
as the White City,
the classical core
of the Columbian Exposition.
So, they're using architecture
based on classical elements.
The columns
and the pediments,
and the classical orders,
and the types of decorations,
all of those elements
that you see
in a classical building.
- The Chicago World's Fair
would transform this approach
to designing public buildings
into a national movement.
- It's almost as if
there is a standard vocabulary
that has been set
for these architects
of things that people
are expecting to see
in a state capitol.
- George Post would bring
the Columbian Exposition's
architectural sensibilities
to Madison.
He would also
bring its artists.
- The creators of the Capitol
wanted it to serve,
in part, as an art museum.
A place where people
could come see
beautiful art and architecture
and be uplifted by it.
- For the Capitol's
most prominent work,
Post turned to
renowned American sculptor
Daniel Chester French.
- Most people know him for
the sculpture of Abraham Lincoln
in the Lincoln Memorial.
He was a major, major figure
in the art world at the period.
- French's sculpture "Wisconsin"
symbolizes the state motto
"Forward,"
a name she is
often mistakenly called.
Wisconsin stands
over 15 feet tall
and weighs
more than three tons.
In 1914,
she was hoisted
on top of the Capitol dome,
which was
a public spectacle.
- Wisconsin was placed
with such fanfare,
I mean there literally
was a parade.
There were speeches
and celebration
and it was quite a big deal.
♪ ♪
- One of the most remarkable
works of art in the Capitol
is here
in the highest visible point
called the oculus.
It was painted by
one of America's
most highly-regarded muralists,
Edwin Blashfield.
And it's
a powerful demonstration
of his mastery of scale.
- I think that one was difficult
because you had to understand
that it was going to be
200 feet away from you
when everybody reads it.
- The mural is called
"The Resources of Wisconsin."
Blashfield created it
in New York City
in a studio big enough
to hold the painting.
It was done on five sections
of overlapping canvas
because the painting would
be glued to onto a concave bowl
to give it
an illusion of depth.
The canvases were attached
to this surface like wallpaper
and pieced together
like a puzzle.
The state of Wisconsin
is represented as a woman,
a motif repeated
throughout the building.
Blashfield's mural reflects
a major theme
in the Capitol's art--
the rich bounty
of the state.
Like the artwork
of a Roman basilica
or European cathedral,
the art at the Capitol
has a story to tell
about the people
who made the building
and what they thought
about their state
and its government.
- The artists
were attempting to convey,
on Post's direction, clearly,
and probably that of
the Capitol Commission as well,
a very high-minded,
idealized notion of democracy.
- The themes of the artwork
are sort of
the grand themes
of liberty,
justice,
government, democracy,
abundance.
- Most of the Capitol's
works of art were made by men.
But there are
three striking exceptions.
- This statue,
called "The West,"
has been here
since the Capitol's beginning.
It was sculpted by
an artistic prodigy from Madison
named Vinnie Ream Hoxie.
She created it at a time
when her fame was at its peak.
- At age 17,
Vinnie Ream Hoxie
became the first
and only sculptor
for whom
Abraham Lincoln ever posed.
When she received
a Congressional art commission
the following year,
Ream Hoxie was the first woman
and youngest person ever
to win
such an award.
In a similar entryway nearby
stands
"The Genius of Wisconsin."
Oshkosh native
Helen Farnsworth Mears
designed it when she was a
21-year-old artist-in-residence
at the Columbian Exposition.
"Forward" was also sculpted
for the Columbian Exposition
by Jean Pond Miner
from Menasha.
Miner symbolized the state
with a female figure
on the prow of a ship
clasping the American flag
to her hip.
The combination
of world-class art,
monumental
classical architecture,
and exquisite materials
came together perfectly
in the Wisconsin Capitol.
By its official completion
in 1917,
the state had a building
that reflected
its confidence and optimism.
But this Capitol
never had a grand opening.
- It took eleven years
to build the building
and really
no expense was spared
so you'd think
that when the work finished
in the summer of 1917
there'd of been
a grand celebration.
But nothing of the sort
happened.
And the reason for that
was that
in April of 1917,
the U.S. entered World War I
and no one thought
that this was the time
for a big party
about how much money
we'd just spent on a capitol.
- In the years to come,
as occupants came and went
and the needs
of the building changed,
the Capitol fell into decline.
- Respect for the building
and its inherent grandiose-ness
just sort of diminished
as people became used to
working in the space.
- There was carpeting
over marble floors.
There were eight coats of paint
on some of the walls.
There was a time when
everything was lemon yellow
or sun yellow,
or everything was lime green.
- Between 1920 and 1980,
the Capitol
as it had been envisioned
was nearly destroyed.
In 1965,
matters came to a head
when First Lady
Dorothy Knowles,
who was a professional
interior decorator,
suggested that
the Governor's conference room
ought to be painted white
in order to brighten it up.
And that made
the legislature think, "Well,
who has the right to do things
like this to our Capitol?"
- By the 1980s,
systems like electrical,
air handling,
and communication
were in serious need of update.
In 1987,
it was determined
that a wholesale restoration
of the building was needed
and a commission was formed.
The state would commit
over a hundred million dollars
to the eleven-year project.
And it would begin
in the basement.
- My shop, the electrical
shop is in the south basement.
- And did that change a lot
with the restoration?
The whole basement area?
- Yes.
The basement areas
when I started
were like your classic
cobweb kind of basement.
- When I started there,
you'd bump your head a lot.
Clearance was probably about
four and a half to five feet.
- The basement was given two
additional feet of headroom,
systems upgrades,
and new office space.
The project
would proceed
section by section
throughout the entire building.
- This is tube lights
that are above
the Supreme Court chambers.
The light is picked up
the entire length of the tube.
They also put, like,
a dropped ceiling diffuser
plastic pieces
so that the light
in the chamber
is nice and even.
When I started,
there were fluorescent
strip lights, like shop lights,
about three feet
off of this glass.
And so, for us to change it,
we had to put boards down
across the top
of the stained glass
and just hope
you didn't put your foot through
the historic antique glass.
- At times, the restoration team
had to play detective,
scouring through old photographs
to uncover the building's
original decorative finishes
that had been painted over.
- We did a lot of research.
Postcards,
pictures of the eras.
You know,
pictures of the governors
to see what was on the wall
behind them.
- And paint was removed
a layer at a time
to uncover
detailed stencil work,
like in the public gallery
of the Senate chamber.
- These walls were painted.
- Just a solid color?
- They were painted
a solid color when we came in.
Some areas
of the building,
the layers of paint were
eight and nine layers thick.
I believe there were
about four layers of paint
in this particular area.
And we went through
layer by layer.
We found that gold leaf
was on there.
We could actually see the gold,
but it was
in very poor shape.
- Now you have detailed
architectural drawings,
but when it comes
to decoration
you don't have
those kinds of sources?
- No.
That kind of document
we don't have.
- Sounds like the only way
to rediscover it was to do
what you did,
go through layer by layer.
- Go through layer by layer.
- Surfaces like this one
were meticulously
brought back
to their
original colors and pattern.
Beautiful stencil work
was also applied
to other surfaces
throughout the Capitol.
Artwork was also
carefully restored.
But in the Rotunda,
just getting to it
posed a challenge.
A massive 200-foot-tall scaffold
was built
to give the restoration team
a rare close-up
of the building's
most precious art.
And in the case
of its four mosaics,
what they discovered
was alarming.
- The whole thing
was at risk of crumbling down.
- The mosaics were designed
by another
Columbian Exposition artist,
Kenyon Cox.
They each consist of
about a hundred thousand pieces
of glass
glued onto a canvas,
which was then attached
to the walls of the Rotunda.
But over the decades,
a problem developed.
- The canvas on which
the glass
was adhered
was beginning to delaminate
from the wall.
- There were actually
parts of the mosaics
that leaned forward,
because they are
not only concave,
but they lean
towards the Rotunda.
- The restoration team looked
to experts around the world
for help
with this unique problem.
In the end, the solution
was a permanent one--
using a powerful glue.
- We were able to inject
at the seam lines
an adhesive material,
push it back,
hold it in place
until the adhesive took hold.
And then all was left
was cleaning.
- The state's commitment
to the Capitol
resulted in a 21st century
office building
that shined as brightly
as it had in 1917.
Architect George Post
did not live
to see the building's
completion.
He died four years earlier,
in 1913,
at age 75.
But he didn't have to see
the final result
to know
what he had created.
- So, this is the sketch
that Post drew.
This was done years before
the different sections of the
construction project happened.
It's just unbelievable
how he could visualize all this
and sketch it out,
and come so close to what
was the actual finished product.
- Yes, the conception is--
what we see
is very nearly what we get.
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- But one thing Post
never specified before he died
was which side should be
considered the Capitol's front.
The building's
perfectly uniform shape
doesn't yield an obvious answer.
And when it came time to place
Wisconsin on top of the dome,
building supervisor Lew Porter
wondered which direction
she should face.
So, he wrote Post's son,
James Otis.
- James Otis Post
indicated that,
he wrote rather personally,
father always felt
the building should face
Lake Monona.
So, Wisconsin was situated
to point in that direction.
And the Blashfield mural
as well,
the base of it
goes in that direction.
So, that also informs,
"What is the orientation
of the building?"
which is really lost
pretty much to everybody
unless you know the story.
- ...to hear some great music.
But also to commemorate
the 100th anniversary
of this beautiful
capitol building
that we are all looking upon
right now.
- On a warm July evening
in 2017,
the community gathered
on the grounds of the Capitol
to hear
the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
It's part of
a weekly summer concert series,
but this night was special.
It was a celebration of the
building's 100th anniversary.
Some of the restoration team
were on hand.
- This is kind of a reunion
at this location
of the crew that did the work.
You know, the two thousand
of us or so
that contributed to the effort.
- We did an incredibly
thorough, authentic,
well-documented
process of restoration.
If you're a citizen of Wisconsin
I think you should
just be impressed
of how wonderful it looks.
- The restoration of
this building was important
because this is a masterpiece.
It was
a complete masterpiece
designed by
a master of the style.
- This is one of a kind
and there's no reason
it can't last for
another hundred years
if given proper care.
So, yeah, love it.
Love it to death.
[laughs]
- This is the seat
of our government.
The symbol of our state.
It tells our story.
And we come to this place
for many reasons--
as a community,
as visitors,
as citizens.
But even through our
most passionate disagreements,
we share
this great capitol.
This is our legacy.
This is our house.
- It has a vitality
that few buildings really do.
The building asks us
as citizens of the state
to be our best
and to make a solid contribution
to our state,
however we best can.
- There is no other place
like it.
It's just that special feeling
you get when you're in it.
- This is a building
for the ages
that has come to us
from people
who thought highly of the state
and its government
and its institutions
and wanted to create
this monument
to the state of Wisconsin.
And those ideals
are still relevant today.
♪ ♪
>> HI.
I'M JON MISKOWSKI, DIRECTOR OF
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
I'M HERE WITH MICHAEL BRIDGEMAN.
THIS BIRTHDAY CARD TO "OUR
HOUSE" WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CALL
RIGHT NOW AND PLEDGE YOUR
SUPPORT.
WITH A GIFT OF $8 A MONTH WE'LL
BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU A DVD.
WITH A GIFT OF $13 A MONTH, WE
HAVE THE DVD COMPANION TO THIS
BRAND NEW BOOK FROM THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AND RIGHT NOW IF YOU CALL IS A
CHALLENGE BREAK, SO UP TO $2,000
IS AVAILABLE TO CHALLENGE NEW
MEMBERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
SO WE'RE HOPING FOR 50 CALLS IN
THESE FEW MINUTES TO CELEBRATE
THE WORK THAT WE DO ALONG WITH
THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IN
CELEBRATING AND REMEMBERING AND
CELEBRATING THE STORIES OF
WISCONSIN.
MIKE, YOU WANT TO TELL FOLKS
ABOUT THE PROGRAM?
>> WELL, THEY'VE SEEN THE
PROGRAM, AND SEEING IT AGAIN
IT'S REALLY A BEAUTIFUL
BUILDING.
WHAT IT REMINDS ME IS WHEN THE
BUILDING WAS BUILT, THEY USED --
THEY WERE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT
PLANNING IT, ABOUT BUILDING IT
AND THEY USED THE BEST PEOPLE
THEY COULD GET TO MAKE IT THE
FINE BUILDING THAT IT IS.
IT'S REALLY A TESTAMENT TO THE
DEVOTION THESE PEOPLE HAD.
>> I THINK THAT'S ONE THING WE
SAID.
THAT'S A BUILDING THAT YOU
REALLY CAN'T TAKE FOR GRANTED,
BUT IF YOU EVER DO, THIS PROGRAM
IS A GREAT REINTRODUCTION TO THE
BEAUTY AND THE CRAFTSMANSHIP AND
THE HEART OF THIS WONDERFUL
BUILDING.
THE PHONE NUMBER TO CALL IS
1-800-236-3636.
>> THANKS, MICHAEL.
>> HI.
I'M STEPHANIE ELKINS, ONE OF THE
MUSIC HOSTS ON WISCONSIN PUBLIC
RADIO.
AND, WOW, THIS JUST MADE ME FEEL
SO PROUD AND SO JUST GRATEFUL
FOR THE LEGACY OF THOSE WHO WENT
BEFORE US WHO INVESTED IN THIS
BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, OUR HOUSE,
OUR CAPITOL.
WE'RE CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL
OF THE CAPITOL AND THE SEVENTEEN
TEN SELLCENTENNIAL OF PUBLIC
BROADCASTING.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CELEBRATE
WITH US BY MAKING YOUR GIFT TO
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
THIS IS A CHALLENGE BREAK, WHICH
MEANS THAT WE HAVE A POT OF
MONEY FROM EXISTING MEMBERS WHO
WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO
BECOME A NEW MEMBER OF WISCONSIN
PUBLIC TELEVISION.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT AT THE
LEVEL OF $8 A MONTH, WE'LL SEND
YOU THE PROGRAM DVD YOU HAVE
JUST SEEN.
NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE OUR HOUSE,
BUT IT HAS A SECOND DOCUMENTARY
AS WELL ABOUT THE RESTORATION
THAT HAPPENED IN 1999, I
BELIEVE.
AND WE LITTLE ALSO HAVE A GIFT OF THE
BOOK THAT JUST CAME OUT FROM THE
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
CALLED "THE WISCONSIN CAPITOL."
FOR A GIFT OF $13 WE'LL SEND YOU
BOTH THE DVD AND THE BOOK.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
DURING THIS 100TH ANNIVERSARY.
1-800-236-3636.
>> HELLO AGAIN.
STEPHANIE MENTIONED THE BOOK.
THIS IS THE BOOK ABOUT THE
WISCONSIN CAPITOL JUST PUBLISHED
THIS YEAR BY THE WISCONSIN
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
IT'S A FINE BOOK.
IT'S REALLY GREAT.
AS WONDERFUL AS THE TV PROGRAM
IS, IT'S A TV PROGRAM, SO IT'S
REALLY ABOUT BEAUTIFUL IMAGES A
NDAND SO ON.
YOU CAN'T SAY ALL THAT MUCH IN
THE TV SHOW, SO THIS IS A CHANCE
TO GET DEEPER WITH THIS BOOK
CALLED "THE WISCONSIN CAPITOL,"
STORIES ABOUT THE BUILDING,
RESTORATION AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE
WORKED THERE OR BEEN THERE.
IT'S A FASCINATING BOOK.
AGAIN, IT'S A SPECIAL THANK YOU
GIFT THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER I
THINK AT THE $10 A MONTH AND
ABOVE.
DON'T WORRY.
OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE ALL THIS
INFORMATION AND WE'LL MAKE SURE
YOU GET AT THE RIGHT LEVEL AND
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT IN JUST THE
RIGHT WAY.
BUT TO DO THAT YOU HAVE TO CALL
1-800-236-3636.
>> THANKS.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A CHALLENGE
BREAK, SO FOR NEW MEMBERS YOUR
DOLLARS ARE DOUBLED WHEN YOU
CALL RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO 50 AND
BEYOND.
WE HAVE 16 CALLS.
PLEASE JOIN US WITH YOUR PLEDGE.
YOUR GIFT IS AN INVESTMENT
ESPECIALLY IN THE WORK THAT WE
DO ABOUT WISCONSIN, ABOUT
WISCONSIN STORIES AND WISCONSIN
PROGRAMS.
TONIGHT'S PROGRAM IS JUST ONE
EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THINK OF PROGRAMS WE SHARE WITH
OUR FRIENDS, PROGRAMS LIKE "GUYS
ON ICE," WHICH IS THE GREATEST
ICE-FISHING MUSICAL EVER,
WISCONSIN FROM THE AIR,
"WISCONSIN WINTER FROM THE AIR,"
EXTRAORDINARY CELEBRATION OF OUR
STATE.
"OUR HOUSE" IS A BEAUTIFUL
PROGRAM ABOUT THE MOST IMPORTANT
BUILDING IN OUR STATE.
CLEARLY AS YOU WATCH THE PROGRAM
THE BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT WITH
THE MOST CARE AND THIS MOST
SENSE OF OUR PLACE IN OUR
GOVERNMENT, THIS PROGRAM
CELEBRATES IT, THAT BUILDING
CELEBRATES IT.
IT'S A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION OF
WISCONSIN.
WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US WITH YOUR
PLEDGE AND YOUR SUPPORT WHILE
IT'S DOUBLED AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> OUR CAPITOL WILLING BUILDING IS A
JEWEL, ALL ONLY WAWZ OF THE
PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME BEFORE.
CELEBRATE THE LEGACY OF THE
CAPITOL BUILDING BY MAKING A
GIFT RIGHT NOW.
FOR A GIFT OF $8 A MONTH WE'LL
SEND YOU THE PROGRAM DVD OF "OUR
HOUSE" THE CELEBRATION OF
WISCONSIN'S CAPITOL BUILDING,
INTIMATE, BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK
AT ALL OF THE DETAILS, SUCH A
BEAUTIFULLY DONE PROGRAM FROM
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
FOR A PLEDGE OF $10 A MONTH OR
MORE, WE'LL SEND YOU THE BOOK
THAT JUST CAME OUT FROM THE
WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PRESS CALLED "THE WISCONSIN
CAPITOL."
IT'S FULL OF HISTORY AND
PHOTOGRAPHS.
FOR A PLEDGE OF $13 A MONTH OR
MORE, WE'LL SEND YOU BOTH THE
DVD WHICH HAS AN ADDITIONAL
DOCUMENTARY ON IT AS WELL AS THE
BOOK.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL LEGACY FOR
YOUR CHILDREN, FOR YOUR FRIENDS
AND YOU CAN HAVE IT AT A TOKEN
OF OUR THANKS WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR
PLEDGE AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> WE HAVE 24 CALLS SO FAR
DURING THIS CHALLENGE BREAK,
WHICH MEANS WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY
TO OUR GOAL OF 50 CALLS.
IF YOU CALL AND YOU DON'T GET
THROUGH, YOU CAN STAY ON THE
LINE OR YOU CAN GO TO wpt.org
AND MAKE YOUR MEMBERSHIP THERE.
ALL THESE THANK YOU GIFTS WE'VE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU CAN JUST
THEM THERE JUST AS WELL.
SO DO THAT.
YOU CAN ALSO BECOME A SUSTAINING
MEMBER BY CALLING ONE OF OUR
VOLUNTEERS OR BY GOING ONLINE.
SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP MEANS THAT
YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH TO GIVE EACH
MONTH.
I AM A SUSTAINING MEMBER.
AND SO WHAT I DO IS I SAY I WILL
TRANSFER THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY
EVERY MONTH FROM MY CHECKING
ACCOUNT AND IT'S PAYABLE TO
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.
I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT MAKES IT
EASY TO BUDGET MY GIVING ACROSS
THE YEAR.
AND I KNOW THAT WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION LIKES IT BECAUSE THEY
HAVE A RELIABLE AND STEADY
SOURCE OF FUNDING COMING IN.
IT'S REALLY A TERRIFIC WAY TO
GO.
A SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP.
OUR VOLUNTEERS HAVE THE
INFORMATION ABOUT THAT OR,
AGAIN, YOU CAN FIND IT ONLINE.
THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO
SUPPORT "OUR HOUSE," TO SUPPORT
WISCONSIN PROGRAMS, TO SUPPORT
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN DO
TONIGHT.
YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IF YOU WANT
TO GIVE US A CALL OR GO ONLINE.
WE ARE AT 29 CALLS.
WE'RE AIMING FOR 50.
BE THE NEXT ONE AT
1-800-236-3636.
>> IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE GREAT
RESPONSE AND THE CALLS POURING
IN.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE CALLS AND
THOSE PLEDGES.
ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR FUNDERS
FOR THIS PROJECT AND THIS
PROGRAM WHO MADE THEIR
CONTRIBUTION WHEN WE WERE JUST
IMAGINING IT.
WE WANT TO THANK RON AND COLLEEN
WEYERS, THE AHRENS FUND, OUR
FOLKS IN THE FOX VALLEY
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, THE CONNIE
FAMILY IN MEMORY OF MILDRED.
WE CERTAINLY MISS HER.
EDVEST WHO WE HAD A CHANCE TO
TALK TO AND THE WORK THAT THEY
DO FOR FAMILIES OF WISCONSIN.
ELEANOR AND THOMAS WILDRECK
FAMILY.
ROGER AND LYN, THANK YOU.
AMERICAN TRANSMISSION COMPANY.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR
THIS.
AND FRIENDS OF WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION, WHICH IS YOU.
WHEN YOU CALL, AGAIN, VIEWERS
ARE THE LARGEST SINGLE SOURCE OF
REVENUE.
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PROGRAM WHAT
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION
MEANS TO OUR STATE AND CAPTURING
THIS STORY.
I WANT TO TELL A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT ELEANOR AND THOMAS.
THEIR FAMILY MADE A GIFT TO THIS
PROJECT FOR THIS WONDERFUL
COMBINATION OF REASONS.
ONE, AS THOMAS WORKED IN THE
CAPITOL.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT -- THE
FAMILY TOLD US ABOUT HOW
ELEANOR, HIS WIFE, WOULD BRING
VISITORS WHO CAME TO VISIT THEM
TO THE CAPITOL AND TOUR THIS
AMAZING BUILDING.
HIS OFFICE WAS IN THE DOME.
THEY TOLD US HOW IT WASN'T
HEATED AND IT CERTAINLY WASN'T
COOLED.
AND SO THIS IS A REALLY SPECIAL
PLACE FOR THEM.
AND BEYOND THAT THEY BOTH WERE
BORN IN 1917.
SO THIS WONDERFUL COMBINATION OF
THINGS WE CELEBRATE THEIR
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR STATE, TO
THEIR COMMUNITY AND THEIR FAMILY
THAT CONTINUES THIS LEGACY OF
PHILANTHROPY OF SUPPORTING THIS
PROJECT.
WE'RE PROUD TO BE PART OF THAT.
OUR CONDOLENCES GO TO THE
FAMILY.
ELEANOR JUST RECENTLY PASSED AND
IT WAS WONDERFUL TO MEET HER.
WHAT A GREAT SPIRIT.
WHAT A GREAT CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS
STATE ALONG WITH HER HUSBAND AND
HER FAMILY.
SO WE WANT TO AK THOJ ACKNOWLEDGE THAT
AND THANK THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT
AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE WONDERFUL
RESPONSE WE'RE RECEIVING TO THIS
PROGRAM.
ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN US WITH
YOUR CALL TO 1-800-236-3636.
THANK YOU.
>> WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A
CHALLENGE BREAK.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR 50 CALLS AND
WE'RE AT 41.
SO WE'RE ALMOST THERE.
THERE ARE MEMBERS WHO HAVE A
MATCHING FUND AND WE'D LOVE TO
SEE NEW HEBS.
IT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN A MEMBER,
RIGHT NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO
JOIN.
WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF
THIS WONDERFUL KIND OF PROGRAM
WE'VE JUST SEEN, "OUR HOUSE,"
THE STORY OF THE NATION'S
CAPITOL.
WE HAVE A WONDERFUL THANK YOU
GIFT FOR YOU.
IF YOU CAN MAKE A PLEDGE AT $8 A
MONTH OR MORE AND THAT'S THE
PROGRAM DVD THAT WE HAVE JUST
SEEN.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN
SHARE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND WATCH
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
FOR A PLEDGE OF $10 A MONTH OR
MORE, WE HAVE A BOOK THAT WAS
JUST RELEASED BY THE WISCONSIN
HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESS CALLED
"THE WISCONSIN CAPITOL" AND IT'S
FULL OF HISTORY AND PHOTOS.
FOR YOUR PLEDGE OF $13 A MONTH
OR MORE WE'LL SEND YOU BOTH THE
DVD AND THE BOOK.
IT IS A TERRIFIC COMBINATION OF
ITEMS.
THIS IS A CENTENNIAL YEAR FOR
PUBLIC BROADCASTING.
IT'S A CENTENNIAL YEAR FOR OUR
CAPITOL, SOMETHING WE CAN ALL BE
SO VERY PROUD OF.
AND WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO BE
PARTICIPATING IN ALL OF THIS
CENTENNIAL HAPPINESS.
SO GIVE US A CALL, BE PART OF IT
ALL AT 1-800-236-3636.
>> WE HAVE JUST A FEW MINUTES
LEFT IN THIS PARTICULAR
CHALLENGE BREAK.
AGAIN, OUR GOAL IS 50 GOALS.
THAT WAS 43 THAT JUST CAME IN.
THE CHALLENGE MEANS THAT YOUR
GIFT WILL BE MATCHED UP TO
$2,000 WITH A SPECIAL FUND
THAT'S BEEN SET UP.
IT'S A GOOD REASON TO CALL RIGHT
NOW.
BUT ACTUALLY THE BEST REASON TO
CALL IS BECAUSE YOU'VE ENJOYED
THE PROGRAM AND YOU WANT TO
SUPPORT THESE KINDS OF PROGRAMS,
PROGRAMS ABOUT WISCONSIN THAT
TELL THE STORY OF WISCONSIN IN A
PARTICULAR WAY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS PROGRAM
DID THAT SUCCESSFULLY.
AND I THINK YOU AGREE.
SO NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL.
THE PHONE NUMBER THAT'S ON YOUR
SCREEN AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR
WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION.
THIS IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
PUBLIC BROADCASTING HERE IN
WISCONSIN.
IT'S ALSO THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE CAPITOL BUILDING THAT
STANDS TODAY IN THE CENTER OF
MADISON.
TWO GOOD REASONS TO CALL AND
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO WISCONSIN
PUBLIC TELEVISION.
I WAS ABLE TO WORK ON THE
PROGRAM.
I ENJOY IT IMMENSELY.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT WISCONSIN
PUBLIC TELEVISION DOES THIS KIND
OF STUFF, THAT THEY DO PROGRAMS
ABOUT WISCONSIN AND ABOUT OUR,
AS WE SAY, BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
THAT'S MY PARTICULAR INTEREST,
BUILDINGS, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN.
BOY, THIS BUILDING HAS IT IN
SPADES AS I THINK YOU JUST SAW.
IT'S A GOOD REASON NOW AGAIN TO
CALL THE NUMBER THAT'S ON YOUR
SCREEN, 1-800-236-3636.
>> WONDERFUL CALLS.
WE'VE REACHED OUR GOAL OF 50.
WE WANT TO GO BEYOND 50.
WHY DON'T YOU JOIN US TO TAKE US
BEYOND OUR GOAL, 1-800-236-3636.
I WANT TO TELL ONE STORY.
WE HEARD SO MANY STORIES ABOUT
THIS.
MY FRIEND STEVE TALKED ABOUT
COMING WITH HIS PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS TO THE CAPITOL WHEN
HE WAS A KID FROM SCHOFIELD AND
TOURING THE CAPITOL.
THEY WENT AFTER TO GOVERNOR
DODGE STATE PARK.
THEY REALIZED THEY HAD LEFT
STEVE AT THE CAPITOL.
THEY HAD LEFT THEIR CHILD AT THE
CAPITOL BECAUSE SOMEONE THOUGHT
HE WAS IN THAT CAR AND SOMEONE
THOUGHT HE WAS IN THIS CAR AND
HE WAS IN EITHER CAR.
THEY RACE BACK AND THEY FIND
STEVE IS JUST LOVING THE
CAPITOL.
HE DID NOT NOTICE ANYBODY WAS
LEFT.
HE TOLD THEM THAT HE WAS GOING
TO WORK HERE.
HE DIDN'T WORK AT THE CAPITOL,
BUT NOW HE'S AN ARCHITECT AND
HIS OFFICE IS ACROSS THE STREET
FROM THE CAPITOL.
THIS BUILDING IS REALLY QUITE
EXTRAORDINARY AND THAT KIND OF
INFLUENCE, THE KIND OF VISION OF
THAT BUILDING CONTINUES TO
RESONATE IN OUR STATE FOR THE
CHILDREN WHO WALK IN AND JUST
FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS BUILDING
TO THE SENSE OF OUR ACCESS TO
OUR GOVERNMENT.
IT'S ALL CELEBRATED IN THIS
BUILDING AND WE REALLY FEEL
PROUD OF THE GREAT WORKS OUR
FOLKS DID OF CAPTURING AND
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