Representative Don Humason



STATE HOUSE Westfield Evening News column By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. August 21, 2010 Now that formal sessions are finished, there is less material for me to use as inspiration for my weekly columns. This week, for example, I did not go to Boston even once. August at the State House is a quiet month, for sure. While legislators and their staffers are on vacation or back in their district offices (for those who have them) there are always many tourists from all over the country and world visiting the state capitol. Our State House is the oldest continually operating state capitol building in the country. The Massachusetts State House is built on land in Boston that once belonged to John Hancock’s family. The State House as we think of it today was built in three major sections and three periods over time. It was designed by a young Boston architect named Charles Bulfinch. Borrowing from classical designs he had observed when overseas in England, Bulfinch designed the beautiful brick building with tall columns and a dome. The dome was originally shingled with wood but when it began to leak Paul Revere and Sons was hired to coat the roof in copper. Over the decades it has been painted gray and black and, of course, gilded in gold. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1795. Less than three years later the building was complete and the Governor and legislators held the formal opening on January 11, 1798 Twelve years ago we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Bulfinch State House. There is another building in Boston, not far from the current State House, that is known as the Old State House. It is located on State Street near Quincy Market. Originally the street was known as King Street and the Old State House was the site of governance when Massachusetts was still a colony of Great Britain. After the American Revolution the building became the capitol for the new state. If you go to the Big E and look at the Massachusetts building on the Avenue of States, it looks a great deal like the Old State House. Almost immediately the Old State House was deemed to be too small and the fledgling state government commissioned a new capitol to be built on land that Governor Hancock was using to graze his sheep. The Bulfinch State House had space for the Governor and the House of Representatives and later for the Senate. It had a large public space, called Doric Hall. But it too was deemed too small. There was debate on whether to tear it down and build anew, or to move the capitol to another city (Worcester is mentioned as one possible location, which would have been just fine for me and my commute from Westfield). There had been a number of smaller additions built on to the North side of the capitol. Each time a new, larger one was added the previous addition was removed. In the beginning nobody was sure whether the front of the building would be the North façade or the South face. Today it is the South face on Beacon Street with the brick arches and the columns we all think of as the front of the State House. Architect Charles Brigham was hired to design the large addition built off the North side of the building that became known as the Brigham Extension and more than tripled the size of the capitol. In 1895, the House of Representatives moved out of the Bulfinch front into the new Brigham Extension. The Senate moved over one room into the old House Chamber. The Governor stayed where he was. The extension contained many more rooms for state government offices but the members of the House and Senate did not have offices of their own until recent times. Representatives did their work at their tiny desks in the House chamber and made phone calls from a wooden bank of phones in the House member’s lounge. The third, and last, major update to the Massachusetts State House was in 1915 and 1919 with the addition of the East and West Wings. My office is located on the fifth floor of the West Wing of the capitol, above Governor Patrick’s office. In 1990 the state Division of Capitol Asset Management converted open atrium space in the center of the rectangular shaped Brigham Extension and covered it with a glass ceiling creating the Great Hall. Today the Great Hall is also known as the Hall of City Flags for the banners representing each of the Commonwealth’s 351 municipalities that hang in the huge room. On the basement and first levels of the building beneath the Great Hall four committee rooms were built. Today, many of my legislative committees hold their public hearings in those rooms (known plainly as A1, A2, B1, and B2). Work is constantly ongoing at the State House. Weatherization projects, energy efficiency upgrades, roof work, and general maintenance are always underway in this beautiful and historical public building. I encourage you to come to Boston and visit the State Houses, old and new. The Secretary of State’s office runs free tours of the building that commence in Doric Hall on the second floor. The building is open to tourists 6 days a week from Monday to Saturday. Although I am not in Boston as much during the summer months and when the Legislature is out of session, please call me in my Westfield District Office at 568-1366 if you are planning to visit the State House. If I can, I would be delighted to try to be in Boston the same day you are and offer you a personal tour. Have a nice weekend. Enjoy the air show and the Westfield Fair! * * * Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366.Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.State.MA.US Website: www.DonHumason.org * * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my Saturday Westfield Evening News column, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience. * * *
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

STATE HOUSE

Westfield Evening News column
By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.
August 21, 2010

Now that formal sessions are finished, there is less material for me to use as inspiration for my weekly columns. This week, for example, I did not go to Boston even once.

August at the State House is a quiet month, for sure. While legislators and their staffers are on vacation or back in their district offices (for those who have them) there are always many tourists from all over the country and world visiting the state capitol.

Our State House is the oldest continually operating state capitol building in the country.

The Massachusetts State House is built on land in Boston that once belonged to John Hancock’s family.

The State House as we think of it today was built in three major sections and three periods over time.

It was designed by a young Boston architect named Charles Bulfinch. Borrowing from classical designs he had observed when overseas in England, Bulfinch designed the beautiful brick building with tall columns and a dome.

The dome was originally shingled with wood but when it began to leak Paul Revere and Sons was hired to coat the roof in copper. Over the decades it has been painted gray and black and, of course, gilded in gold.

The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1795. Less than three years later the building was complete and the Governor and legislators held the formal opening on January 11, 1798

Twelve years ago we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Bulfinch State House.

There is another building in Boston, not far from the current State House, that is known as the Old State House. It is located on State Street near Quincy Market. Originally the street was known as King Street and the Old State House was the site of governance when Massachusetts was still a colony of Great Britain.

After the American Revolution the building became the capitol for the new state. If you go to the Big E and look at the Massachusetts building on the Avenue of States, it looks a great deal like the Old State House.

Almost immediately the Old State House was deemed to be too small and the fledgling state government commissioned a new capitol to be built on land that Governor Hancock was using to graze his sheep.

The Bulfinch State House had space for the Governor and the House of Representatives and later for the Senate. It had a large public space, called Doric Hall. But it too was deemed too small. There was debate on whether to tear it down and build anew, or to move the capitol to another city (Worcester is mentioned as one possible location, which would have been just fine for me and my commute from Westfield).

There had been a number of smaller additions built on to the North side of the capitol. Each time a new, larger one was added the previous addition was removed. In the beginning nobody was sure whether the front of the building would be the North façade or the South face. Today it is the South face on Beacon Street with the brick arches and the columns we all think of as the front of the State House.

Architect Charles Brigham was hired to design the large addition built off the North side of the building that became known as the Brigham Extension and more than tripled the size of the capitol.

In 1895, the House of Representatives moved out of the Bulfinch front into the new Brigham Extension. The Senate moved over one room into the old House Chamber. The Governor stayed where he was.

The extension contained many more rooms for state government offices but the members of the House and Senate did not have offices of their own until recent times.

Representatives did their work at their tiny desks in the House chamber and made phone calls from a wooden bank of phones in the House member’s lounge.

The third, and last, major update to the Massachusetts State House was in 1915 and 1919 with the addition of the East and West Wings. My office is located on the fifth floor of the West Wing of the capitol, above Governor Patrick’s office.

In 1990 the state Division of Capitol Asset Management converted open atrium space in the center of the rectangular shaped Brigham Extension and covered it with a glass ceiling creating the Great Hall. Today the Great Hall is also known as the Hall of City Flags for the banners representing each of the Commonwealth’s 351 municipalities that hang in the huge room.

On the basement and first levels of the building beneath the Great Hall four committee rooms were built. Today, many of my legislative committees hold their public hearings in those rooms (known plainly as A1, A2, B1, and B2).

Work is constantly ongoing at the State House. Weatherization projects, energy efficiency upgrades, roof work, and general maintenance are always underway in this beautiful and historical public building.

I encourage you to come to Boston and visit the State Houses, old and new. The Secretary of State’s office runs free tours of the building that commence in Doric Hall on the second floor. The building is open to tourists 6 days a week from Monday to Saturday.

Although I am not in Boston as much during the summer months and when the Legislature is out of session, please call me in my Westfield District Office at 568-1366 if you are planning to visit the State House. If I can, I would be delighted to try to be in Boston the same day you are and offer you a personal tour.

Have a nice weekend. Enjoy the air show and the Westfield Fair!

* * *

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield Evening News. Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, 568-1366.Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.State.MA.US Website: www.DonHumason.org

* * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my Saturday Westfield Evening News column, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience. * * *