The Senate Chambers

The Senate Chamber is located on the third floor in the east wing. It was criticized by those who considered the expenditures excessive. However, the senate chamber is one of the finest in the United States. It was decorated in 1873 at a cost of nearly $300,000. The ceiling is of Egyptian architecture and the round windows were imported from France.

Fine marbles and woods were used to decorate the Chamber. The lower wall just above the baseboards, is grayish blue marble from Belgium and is a very unusual color of marble. Above this, running horizontally around the room, is a panel of onyx from Old Mexico. White marble above the onyx is Italian Carrara. Marble over the door is from Tennessee.

There are twenty-eight copper columns, all hand hammered with designs of morning glories and roses. Italians were imported to do this work and it was reported that it took one man a day to complete a small cluster of three leaves in the design. The bases of the columns are black cast iron grill work. It is believed by some people that the columns may have originally contained charcoal burners to heat the senate chamber.

The Senators' desks and chairs are hand-made from native Kansas woods and stained dark oak. The president's rostrum is made of Honduras Mahogany as are the double doors at the entrance of the chamber.