Richmond, Virginia

         After our visit to Raleigh, Rob and I traveled across Virginia to visit various relatives before driving down to Richmond to continue researching for The 50 Capitals Project. By this time, we had been on the road for 11 weeks since we started the trip in the end of August, and we were exhausted. Despite feeling incredibly blessed to have this opportunity, 11 weeks of travel wears on even the hardiest of souls, and we were definitely ready to be home for a few months.

 It was the week of Thanksgiving when we arrived in Richmond, and the town was desolate. Downtown was practically empty, because the students from Virginia Commonwealth University were away visiting their families. Given our level of fatigue, we were grateful that there wouldn’t be too much chaos during this particular visit. We checked in to the hotel Wednesday evening, and settled down.

The next day was Thanksgiving, and we traveled to a relative’s house to celebrate the holiday. My feelings about Thanksgiving are always mixed. Although I love the idea of coming together around a meal to be thankful for what we have, the premise of the celebration for many people now seems to be overshadowed by their expectations that the rest of the weekend will be spent in the frenzy of holiday shopping. Many stores that year even began their sales on Thanksgiving Day! I understand the reasons behind Black Friday sales, but I am concerned that if we lose the true spirit of Thanksgiving, we will also lose sight of less materialistic past times.

After a wonderful meal with many members of my family, we returned to Richmond in the early evening to prepare for the next day of research. I may have mixed feelings about Thanksgiving, but I have very clear feelings about Black Friday, namely hatred. I will not anywhere near any retail store for any reason on Black Friday, so it was a great day to visit the Capitol. I was excited to see this one in particular because Virginia is such an important piece of our American puzzle. Virginia was a major economic and political power in our nation’s early history. Four of the first five Presidents were Virginians, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Virginians also played a critical role in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitutional Convention, and the formation of the Bill of Rights. Many decades later, Virginia was the largest state to join the Confederacy during the Civil War. Along with Pennsylvania, Virginia was one of the most influential colonies in the time of our country’s founding, so in that sense, it is one of the most important states in my journey.

We parked several blocks away from the Capitol building because there were very few available spaces, despite the fact that there were few people downtown. The front of the building was obscured by two sets of bleachers, obviously in preparation for an event. After taking pictures of the grounds and exterior, I walked down to the Visitor’s Entrance by the street, which takes one through an underground extension to the Capitol. The addition housed the security, front desk, gift shop, and café along with several offices. Virginia’s Capitol is one of the older, smaller buildings, and I think that the underground addition made sense in order to preserve the integrity of the exterior. We had arrived just before the beginning of the tour, and there was a rather large group of international visitors waiting down the hall. The tour began by the statue of Thomas Jefferson, who designed the building with French architect Charles-Louis Clérisseau. The statue, completed in 2012, was in the center of a circular room that served as the atrium between the addition and the passageway to the current Capitol. One of Jefferson’s quotes was carved into the wall, “The most sacred of the duties of government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.” After the guide gave us a short overview of the building, the group continued up a staircase that wrapped around the curved wall, and as we walked through the hallways, the view through the windows emerged above the ground, and we could see how the extension was connected to the Capitol.

Before heading upstairs, the guide paused by an antique elevator shaft, which the multi-level staircase wrapped around. It was empty, and if one stood inside the shaft and gazed skyward, you could get an interesting perspective of the building that spanned several floors. The guide told us that the elevator was used in the early part of the 20th century, but was eventually closed up by the legislature and promptly forgotten. When the Capitol was undergoing the construction of the extension and the restoration of the building, the shaft was discovered, and they decided to open it up because it made such an interesting spectacle. The group marveled for a few more moments before following the guide up to the second floor.

Rather than build an entirely separate legislative building when the Capitol got crowded, the Virginia General Assembly decided to add to their current structure. The Capitol, which was completed in 1798, lacked large enough chambers and adequate office space, like many other Capitols built around that same time. The legislature added the Senate and House of Delegates wings in 1906, and the underground extension was completed in 2007, providing additional office space while preserving the Jeffersonian exterior. The guide began the tour of this floor in the Old Senate Chamber, which is now used for various meetings and other events. In the front of the room there are two portraits, one of Captain John Smith and another of Pocahontas.

Thestory of Pocahontas has been morphed through is popularization and its depiction by Disney, particularly the portion about John Smith. As the story goes, relations between the English settlers and the Powhatan were deteriorating as cultures clashed. Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas’ father, was going to execute John Smith by smashing his head in when Pocahontas placed herself between Smith and the executioner. Out of love for his daughter and her desire not to harm the Englishmen, the Chief released Smith and sent gifts to the settlers as a peacemaking gesture. Contrary to Disney’s version, Pocahontas did not marry John Smith, nor did she necessarily save him out of love.

Women in Powhatan society were able to choose who they married (rather than having their husband chosen for them by their father), and Pocahontas married twice in her life. The first time, the lucky groom was a native man named Kocoum, who did not hold a position of high status in the tribe. Since Pocahontas was the daughter of the Chief, this would indicate that she married for love. Several years later, when she was captured by the English to leverage negotiations with her father, Pocahontas was educated in the English language, traditions, and lifestyle. During her captivity, Pocahontas met John Rolfe, and the two fell in love. There was a form of divorce in Powhatan society, and once Chief Powhatan received word that Pocahontas wanted to marry another, the tribe would have considered her and Kocoum divorced. In 1614, Pocahontas converted to Christianity, was baptized “Rebecca,” and married John Rolfe. They had a child together, Thomas, and moved to England before Pocahontas’ death from illness at the age of 21.

The relationship between the Powhatan and the British settlers was the mostly peaceful during Pocahontas and Rolfe’s marriage, but after she died, things began to deteriorate. The portraits in the Old Senate Chamber of Pocahontas and John Smith symbolized the early relationship between the settlers and the natives in the land that is now the Commonwealth of Virginia, though one could argue that a portrait of John Rolfe above that of his wife would be more fitting.

The tour continued across the hall to the Jefferson Room, which was the mirror image of the Old Senate Chamber. We paused to admire the original model of the Capitol, which was commissioned by Jefferson and built by Jean-Pierre Fouquet, and take a look at an 18^th century clock gifted to the Commonwealth by Lady Astor. Next, we moved on to the rotunda. This Capitol is fairly unusual in the fact that it is one of twelve Capitols that do not have an exterior dome (Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio and Tennessee).

The rotunda was beautiful and I felt that it was among the nicest of the oldest Capitols, although it did not have a lot of natural light. In the center was a statue of George Washington, which is said to be a perfect likeness. Jean Antoine-Houdon carved the marble figure after visiting Washington at Mount Vernon. There he took many precise measurements and a plaster mold of Washington’s face before creating the wonderful masterpiece. The statue is  the pride and joy of the Capitol, reserving the place of honor at the center of the rotunda. There were busts of all the Presidents that were born in Virginia in alcoves in the rotunda walls, making the space a true testament to the founding fathers.

The official tour ended in the old House of Delegates Chamber, where a larger-than-life bronze statue stands in the spot where Robert E. Lee, at age 54, accepted command of the armed forces of Virginia from Governor John Letcher on April 23, 1861. Lee was originally offered control of the Union forces, but he declined, saying that he could never place his loyalty anywhere else but with his home state of Virginia. This building also served as the second Capitol of the Confederacy, and along with being the largest state to enter the Confederacy, one could argue that Virginia is one of the most important states in the Civil War saga.

In 1870, as the South was just picking itself up from the destruction of the Civil War, the Courtroom above the House of Delegates Chamber was packed with a boisterous audience. The floor had become structurally unsound over the years as the building aged and architects of dubious ability made their adjustments to the support of the room. Without warning, the floor of the courtroom collapsed and hundreds of people crashed onto the House of Delegate’s floor. Sixty people were killed and over 150 were wounded. Luckily, the House of Delegates below was empty and structurally sound, so the carnage was less severe than it otherwise might have been.

The guide, who was wonderfully well-informed and pleased to answer all of our questions, announced the formal end of the tour. On her way out, she offered to open the current House of Delegates Chamber for any who were interested, but warned us that it wasn’t as interesting as the historical rooms. The modern space was large and comfortable, with plenty of space for all of the Delegates and electronic voting boards, which the historic rooms did not have. After taking a look, Rob and I left the Capitol and returned to the hotel for the evening, pondering all that we had learned.

Virginia has been an integral part of United States history since the first permanent British colony in Jamestown in 1607. Pocahontas’ relationship with the British eased relations between the native Powhatan and the colonists. Virginia was a key state in our founding, with important Virginians shaping the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Virginia was the largest state to enter the Confederacy, the home state of General Robert E. Lee, and the Capitol of the Confederacy. Virginia has played a crucial part in the two most influential conflicts in our nation’s history, the Revolution and the Civil War, and its history is deeply entwined in the fundamental cultural origins of our nation.

The next day, we packed up our belongings and headed toward Annapolis, Maryland.

Raleigh, North Carolina

         The Saturday before we arrived in Raleigh, Rob and I went to a great concert at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. After a really fun night, we retreated to our hotel, which was less than a quarter mile away from the venue. Sunday morning while we were checking out, we bumped into the opening band, Gentleman Hall, who had performed at the concert the previous night. They had just finished their tour with our favorite band, Third Eye Blind, and were about to drive back to Boston. They were a very friendly and talented group of guys, and they gave us a few free CDs before we parted ways and rejoined the road.

          The drive from Myrtle Beach to Raleigh was relatively short and scenic compared to some of the other drives we’ve done. It wasn’t long before we arrived at the hotel in Durham, a suburb of Raleigh, and settled in for the evening. Monday morning we woke up and went to Barry’s Café before driving to the Capitol to begin the day’s research. The café was a small breakfast spot in a strip mall, and at 11am on a Monday it was empty. As soon as we stepped in inside, we felt right at home. It was one of those breakfast cafes that makes you feel like a local, even if you aren’t actually one. The waitress was an older, talkative woman who filled our coffee cups to the brim before taking our order. She made the meal much more enjoyable, and it was great to find a place that was so welcoming. I ordered the usual, a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, while Rob got a two egg breakfast with bacon and potatoes. Everything was cooked to order and delicious, and the meal gave us the energy we needed to get through the day. Before long, we were on our way to the Capitol, fully fed and satisfied.

           North Carolina’s Capitol is one of the oldest, intact examples of neoclassical architecture in the nation. It was built 1833-1840 by Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis of New York, the primary architects, and David Paton who designed the interior. The final cost was $532,682.32, which was three times the state’s annual revenue at the time. All branches of government occupied the Capitol until 1888, when the Supreme Court and the State Library moved to another building close by. In 1962, the North Carolina Legislative Building was completed, and the General Assembly (both the Senate and the House of Representatives) moved to the modern building. One of the things that many older Capitols lack is adequate office space, so the move made practical sense. The Lieutenant Governor and staff moved to the Hawkins-Hartness House in 1969 when the state purchased the historic home from the family, leaving only the Governor’s office and immediate staff to occupy the original Capitol.

            The building was on the small side, which is typical of state Capitols built before 1900. This was the 9^th oldest state Capitol in the country, surpassed only by the State Houses in Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Ohio. The grounds were lush and well kept, with many different statues paying tribute to many different things. The most common theme was honoring North Carolinians that lost their lives in the major wars of the last 150 years. There were memorials for the Civil War, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War. In front of the visitor’s entrance on the side of the building, there was also a statue of all of the Presidents from North Carolina, including Andrew Jackson, Andrew Johnson, and James Polk.

          I entered the quiet building, and after checking in with the security guard, I began exploring. The rooms had that old wooden smell that seems to exist in almost all pre-Civil War buildings. If you don’t know what smell I am referring to, visit a building that was constructed in the early 1800s, and you’ll smell exactly what I mean. The odor is similar to that in antique books or other ancient paper products. As I explored, I soon understood why the state government outgrew the building so quickly. Although the chambers were large, and the building had three floors, there was a severe lack of office and storage space. I found the room which housed the State Library until 1888, when the collection exceeded 40,000 volumes and was scattered throughout the Capitol. When the Supreme Court moved, the State Library followed. Today, it is housed in the Archives and History building.

           There was another room very similar to the old library, which was set up to display the Geological Survey of North Carolina. The project was started in 1852, and this room became the first natural history museum in North Carolina.  No other Capitol that I have visited has anything similar, so the geological survey of the state is a unique feature setting North Carolina’s Capitol apart from the others I have visited. The displays in the room explained that during the evacuation of the Confederacy, the Union troops agreed to spare the Capitol building, complete with its library and museum. Considering the level of destruction that South Carolina’s Capitol sustained, Raleigh is immensely lucky that their building wasn’t damaged in the slightest.

Next, I moved on to the Senate and House Chambers. The Senate’s gallery was no longer structurally safe for visitors, so I looked in from the hallway. As usual, the rooms were each decorated in a similar style, and the main difference was their size. The House Chamber’s gallery was structurally sound, so visitors can still walk across it. The rooms are still furnished with the old desks and chairs that were once occupied by legislators, despite the fact that the legislature has not met in this building in over 50 years.

           The rotunda spanned three stories, and it wasn’t especially ornate. The walls were painted a single color, reflecting the natural light shining down from the skylight at the peak of the dome. It was a tranquil space with a calming glow, and it was refreshing to see the relatively simple design of the rotunda. This space proved that it is possible to create a beautiful rotunda that isn’t ostentatious or excessively decorated. All around the space, there were historical displays about the various busts and statues. One of the more interesting pieces was a statue of George Washington depicted as a Roman philosopher. It was by far the most unusual portrayal of Washington that I have ever seen, as well as the most creative statue in any Capitol that I have visited. This statue and the Geological Survey are the features of this Capitol that makes it stand out from the rest.

           After exploring the state house, I went across the street to the North Carolina Museum of History. It was a large, distinguished building, and I couldn’t believe that a museum this extensive was free! In my opinion, state museums, libraries, and all other educational resources should receive much more funding than many of them do, so it was really encouraging to see that this museum was not as starved for funds as those in many other states.

I started on the main floor which began with the Native Americans in the region and the European colonization of the land that would become North Carolina. One of my favorite areas of this exhibit was the one dedicated to Blackbeard the Pirate. Blackbeard is one of the most iconic pirates of all time, appearing in many modern-day movies and cartoons. In the late 1600s and early 1700s, he plundered the Caribbean and southern Atlantic coast of the American colonies. It was easy for piracy to thrive because legally imported goods were rare and expensive, so colonists were always looking for cheap ways to acquire the goods they needed. Blackbeard’s flagship vessel, Queen Anne’s Revenge, is as famous as its Captain, and the museum displayed a huge model ship to show what it may have looked like. Perhaps Blackbeard’s most famous act of piracy was when he and his crew, in the Queen Anne’s Revenge, commandeered a number of other ships, and then formed a massive fleet that blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina. After this episode,  he traveled to North Carolina, where he stayed for several months. In November 1718, Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard killed Blackbeard during a shipboard fight at Ocracoke Inlet. To discourage any other pirates from taking Blackbeard’s place, Maynard displayed Blackbeard’s severed head on his ship’s bow.

            I continued through the museum and discovered an enormous section dedicated to the Civil War and the reconstruction era. One of the events that really stood out to me was the Wilmington Race Riot of 1898. During reconstruction, African American and white Republicans dominated the state and local governments of the southern states. As soon as the federal troops left the region, white Democrats vowed to seize power once again. During this time of immense tension, a white newspaper published a letter written a year earlier by Rebecca Felton, a Georgia feminist: "If it requires lynching to protect woman's dearest possession from ravening, drunken human beasts, then I say lynch a thousand negroes a week ... if it is necessary." Alex Manly, a black newspaper editor who worked for the black-owned Daily Record, was enraged by the letter, and he wrote a sarcastic news article that said many of the lynchings described as retaliations for rapes were actually cover-ups for consensual inter-racial sexual relations. The article fanned the flames of an already heated conflict, and when Election Day came around white Democrats throughout the state stuffed the ballot boxes and regained political control. This ‘victory’ wasn’t good enough for the separatist whites in Wilmington, and they rioted through the black neighborhoods, killing an unknown amount of blacks and dumping their bodies in the river. The rioters also burned down the headquarters of The Daily Record, and forcibly removed blacks and sympathetic whites from all positions of power, putting them on a train and banishing them from the town. It was one of the most extreme, violent acts of hate during this unstable period, and because of the corruption in positions of power, there is no exact record of how many blacks were killed.

           Despite social turmoil, the tobacco, textile, and furniture industries boomed in post-reconstruction North Carolina. With new technology, manufacturing became a much faster and cheaper process, and the age of factories began. Young people from rural farming communities began migrating closer to the cities and the higher paying factory jobs, and activism regarding worker safety and child labor began to dominate the social commentary. It was a time of immense social change, but in North Carolina and many other southern states, Jim Crow laws maintained social inequality. Jim Crow laws marginalized African Americans and Native Americans, labeling them second-class citizens and preventing them from using the same services as whites. The most famous protest during the Civil Rights Movement in North Carolina was the 1960 Greensboro sit-in at Woolworth’s. When African American college students sat down at the white lunch counter and politely asked for service, they were declined and asked to leave. They refused to budge, despite hostile reactions from white onlookers, including threats of physical violence, counter protests, and at one point, a bomb threat. Still, more and more students continued to stage their sit-ins every day with increasing amounts of resistance. Within 2 months, there were similar demonstrations in almost every other Jim Crow state. In Greensboro, their peaceful protest had ignited a trend of student driven nonviolent resistance that slowly changed the social dynamic in North Carolina and other southern states. If it wasn’t for the college students that kept this movement alive, who knows how effective the Civil Rights Movement would have been. The Greensboro sit-in was just the beginning of North Carolina’s part in a social revolution that changed the United States forever.

           As I left the main portion of the exhibits, I noticed a small exhibit on Watergate just off the main hallway. Although there isn’t a specific connection between Watergate and North Carolina, this was the only museum that I have been to that had an exhibit dedicated to the scandal, so the display was one of the unique features of this museum. It was a little odd that it was in the hallway separated from all of the other exhibits, but it was an interesting look at an event that is not often addressed by state history museums. The scandal involved the arrest of 5 burglars that were caught trying to bug the offices of the Democratic National Committee in the Watergate hotel and office complex. A high-level military analyst, Daniel Ellsberg, had been urging disclosure of the Pentagon Papers, the Defense Department’s secret record of the conflict in Vietnam including secret attacks on the neighboring countries of Laos and Cambodia. As Ellsberg’s concerns increased, he began leaking some of the information to the press. It eventually came to light that government-connected individuals broke into the offices of Mr. Ellberg’s psychiatrist hoping to get information to discredit him. The Watergate scandal eventually led to Nixon’s resignation, and the event has become the archetype of politicians that use criminal methods to seize and maintain their power. Now, whenever a politician is accused of illegally sabotaging a competitor, the suffix ‘–gate’ is added by the media to illustrate its controversy. The most recent example is the “bridge-gate” scandal plaguing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is accused of conspiring with his staff to close 3 lanes of traffic on the George Washington Bridge to punish Fort Lee’s Mayor for not supporting Christie during his landslide reelection. Personally, I don’t think that the two scandals are comparable in their level of criminal activity and corruption, but that doesn’t stop the media from trying to label it as such.

           Before leaving the museum, I stopped by the gift shop to purchase a keychain and a postcard, which I buy in every state that I visit. Then, I drove west back to the hotel in the beams of the setting sun. I loved visiting the Capitol building and the North Carolina Museum of History, The next day Rob and I would be driving up to Berryville, Virginia to visit my Grandmother before traveling to Richmond to continue my research.

Columbia, South Carolina

            The drive through Georgia from Tallahassee was a pleasant one. For the majority of the ride, we managed to avoid the monotonous Interstate 95, taking the state highways instead. Our route took us through some areas that seemed especially hard-hit by the recent recession.  I wondered how much of the area had always been less well off. People that probably had barely enough to begin with now have even less, and it was apparent that many were just scraping by.

            As we drove through the countryside, I began researching some of South Carolina’s history, and some of the things that make it unique. South Carolina is an old state with a complex history. It was first discovered by French and Spanish explorers, but was quickly transformed into a British colony. During the Revolution, more battles and skirmishes happened in South Carolina than any other state. With the invention of the cotton gin in the early 1800s, South Carolina’s agriculture was widely dominated by King Cotton, like many other Southern states, contributing to its decision to secede. During the Civil War, the fires set by General Sherman’s men devastated South Carolina, and destroyed the majority of its capital city, Columbia. The state also lost nearly 20% of its white male population during the war, which definitely contributed to lingering resentments about the conflict. Despite the widespread destruction, one hundred years later, the Civil Rights Movement in South Carolina was relatively peaceful compared to other Southern states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Although there were isolated incidences of violence, there wasn’t the same pervasive brutality that there was in other Southern states. In 1970, three African Americans were elected to the state legislature, and many more have served in the state government since.

            I arrived in Columbia late Thursday evening, checked in to the hotel, and muscled my belongings upstairs. I already had some supplies for dinner, so I ate and then worked on blog posts, editing photos, and planning for the next day. The following morning it was gloomy, chilly, and grey. As I drove to the Capitol, particularly eager for this visit due to an interesting story I had heard on an earlier stop. When I was taking the tour at the Kansas Capitol, I met two delightful couples that were traveling around the country and visiting historic sights. One of the ladies told me a story about when she and her husband toured the South Carolina Capitol several years previously. The group was just the two of them and the tour guide. In the Senate Chamber, there was a pair of enormous chandeliers, and it happened to be the day that they were getting cleaned. As the couple and guide entered, the chandelier was being raised back up to the ceiling, and the cord snapped, sending the enormous fixture crashing onto the desks. I wanted to see if anyone remembered the incident, and tell them about meeting the couple.

            When I first arrived at the Capitol Square, I had a hard time spotting the building. The grounds were so large and full of beautiful trees and other foliage that the building was mostly concealed. As I passed the front, I noticed that there was some sort of event happening on the front lawn involving large, flowery umbrellas. This was going to be interesting for sure.

            I parked on the side of the building and went inside. I only had time to retrieve a map of the building and get oriented before a large elementary school group entered the building with the tour guide in front. She was very friendly and had a welcoming smile, and I could see why she would be a great guide for a school group. As she passed by me, she looked at me over her shoulder and told me that I was more than welcome to join the group if I was interested in hearing the tour. Sometimes large tours make my research difficult, because I have to pause and take pictures of all the rooms, but this building wasn’t huge, so I figured that I could take photos after the tour. It began on the ground floor, where the guide asked the kids a few questions about South Carolina’s history. She also outlined a few facts about the building, including that construction began in 1855, but wasn’t completed until 1907 because of the Civil War. Afterwards, the group moved upstairs to see the chambers.

            We began in the Senate Chamber, where the guide told the group some of the facts about the legislature, such as how the Senators vote. One of the unique features that she pointed out was a sword resting in a case in front of the President of the Senate’s desk. She explained that at the beginning of the session, the sword was placed on hooks on the rostrum. As she did so, two lamps on either end of the desk lit up. The sword, once placed on its hooks, completed an electrical circuit that illuminated the lights. Not only is this a symbolic gesture to mark the start of the Senate’s session, but it has a very long history in the context of South Carolina’s history. This sword that we saw was not theoriginal. In 1941, the sergeant-at-arms, whose duty it is to carry and place the sword, could not find it for a joint session of the two houses. At first, the disappearance was believed to be a prank, but as time went on without it surfacing, they replaced it with the current version, which was donated by the former British ambassador to the US. To this day, it is a mystery what happened to the original blade.

            We went over to the House Chamber to see the larger of the two rooms. As usual, the House side is very similar to the Senate chamber. Just like the Senate has the Sword of State to serve its symbolic purpose, the House has a large, ornately decorated Mace, which had survived the test of time. It is the oldest legislative Mace in use in the United States. It has also gone missing, twice in the state’s history, but it was recovered both times and returned to its rightful home. The first time it went missing in 1819, Hon. Langdon Cheves of South Carolina discovered it in a bank vault when he went to Philadelphia as President of the Bank of the United States. In 1971, the Mace went missing yet again, but was later recovered from Gainesville, Florida. Similarly to the State Sword in the Senate, it is the Sergeant-at-Arm’s duty to place the Mace at the front of the chamber during session and also to carry it at the lead of the procession at state ceremonies. Both the State Sword and Legislative Mace are unique state symbols. Throughout my trip, I have not yet encountered a similar symbol at any other state Capitol. In this way, they are especially precious to South Carolina and the state government.

            The House chamber itself is very similar to the Senate chamber in style, decoration, and color scheme. Andrew Jackson and George Washington watch over the proceedings with each of their portraits hanging on either side of the chamber, although Jackson’s is significantly larger. The chandeliers in this chamber looked the same as on the Senate side, but I had not heard of either of these tumbling to their destruction. I decided to wait until the tour was over to inquire about the incident so the kids could get all of their questions in before it was time for them to go, so while the guide wrapped everything up, I took a look in the old library, which is now the Joint Legislative Conference Room. 

 

  As with many other states, South Carolina’s old law library is one of the most beautiful rooms in the building. When the collection outgrew the space, the library moved to a separate building, and the room in the Capitol became a joint conference room for both the House and the Senate. The two-story room has a gallery that wraps all the way around, giving it a very open feeling. The décor echoes a similar style to the rest of the building, which has a slight Victorian twist. Like many other Capitols that have one, the law library turned out to be my favorite room in the building.

            As I finished photographing the room, the group of kids returned to their buses and the floor fell silent, giving me the chance to photograph the main floor. Between the two chambers in the center of the main floor, there was a large statue of John Calhoun, a South Carolinian who served in the US House of Representatives, in the US Senate, as Secretary of Defense, as Secretary of State, and as Vice President under President James Monroe and President Andrew Jackson. When Jackson supported tariffs that benefited the industrial north, Calhoun resigned in 1832, becoming the first Vice President to do so. Throughout his career, he was an adamant defender of state’s rights and the idea of nullification, a state’s power to ‘veto’ any law that it considers to violate the constitution, which was fueled by his disagreement with Jackson on the issue of tariffs.  Despite Calhoun’s support of nullification, he wished to avoid an armed conflict with the north, making several attempts at compromise including suggesting a dual presidency. He eventually lost popularity in South Carolina due to his ‘northern sympathies’ as the tensions between the north and south intensified. John Calhoun died in 1850 of tuberculosis. Despite the fact that his positions may have inflamed the issues rather than reducing them during this period of immense national turmoil, it seems Calhoun always tried to do the right thing for South Carolina in his four decades of public service. I understood why the state would choose to honor him with a statue right beneath the dome.

After musing about Calhoun’s contributions to the state, I wanted to find someone who could tell me about the time the Senate chandelier fell. I noticed two college-aged women seated behind a desk right next to the joint legislative conference room, so I asked them about it and if either of them knew the story. Neither of them did, but they called to another staff member that worked on the House side. When I asked him if he knew the story, he shook his head and chuckled before replying. “No one has ever asked about that before!” he exclaimed through his grin. I told him about my trip, touring the Kansas Capitol, and meeting the couple that witnessed the chandelier fall, which seemed to tickle him further. He explained that chandeliers in the House were fixed in place when they weren’t being cleaned, but the ones on the Senate had only the cord and chain to support them. Apparently the load had been a little too much for the antique fixture, and when it was being raised back up into position, the worn chain snapped, sending the chandelier crashing into the desks below.

            I thanked him and wished him well before heading off to find some food. If there’s one thing that every college town has, it’s a good sandwich shop, and luckily for me, there was one just down the street. I could tell that they had their trade down to a science, because the patron in front of me received his food before the cashier had completed the transaction. Sure enough, when I reached the counter, I looked back into the kitchen and saw a frenzy of sandwich making that would be hard to surpass. Not only were they quick, but they assembled the sandwiches with an expert craftsmanship that presented almost like a work of art. I have to say, I was quite impressed. The only thing keeping this place from perfection was that the quality of the ingredients wasn’t exactly top-notch, but then again, it’s a college sandwich shop. After the convenient meal, I returned to my hotel for the remainder of the evening to mull over what I had learned.  

            Later that night, when Rob and I went out to dinner, we were mistaken for students at South Carolina University by the host at the restaurant, who was a student himself. He asked if we were going to ‘the game’, and since we weren’t, we asked him about it. Coincidentally, there was a football game at SCU with their rival, Florida State University. Having just come from Tallahassee, it was pretty amusing that we happened to arrive in South Carolina two days before the game, and that we were mistaken for students at the university.

            The next day we packed up our belongings and hit the road, having thoroughly enjoyed our visit to South Carolina. Now, we were heading to Myrtle Beach for a night of live music before traveling to Raleigh, North Carolina.