North Carolina State Capitol Building

NC Capital Building

chunk of the original Canova sculpture that was damaged by fire

NC Capital Building

The North Carolina Capitol building no longer houses the General Assembly, but the governor's offices are still in the south wing, and it is located directly in the center of downtown Raleigh. The building is set up mostly as a museum and folks can self-tour during the week. Under the rotunda in the center of the building is a sculpture of George Washington. The current sculpture is a reproduction of the original, which was destroyed during a fire in 1831. The original was done by famed Italian sculptor Antonio Canova, carved in white marble, and installed in the capital in 1821. A reproduction of the original was sculpted and installed in 1970 and remains there today.The grounds are nice to walk around, featuring many memorial sculptures and large oak trees.