January 9, 1911

The General Assembly first met in the new Arkansas State Capitol after Governor George Washington Donaghey declared the building fit for habitation. The building still lacked permanent arrangements for heating and light, however, and much of the interior was finished in tile and plaster. The Arkansas Capitol building is the seat of the state’s government, housing its legislature as well as the staffs of six out of Arkansas’s seven constitutional officers. The monumental neo-classical structure gave rise to political controversy during its construction but has generally been praised since its completion in 1915.