Monday, February 11, 2013

Capitol Tour


The Student Council had the distinct honor of touring our city's Capitol Building on Tuesday, February 7th. We had a blast!

After parking at the Farmers' Market, we had a steep hill to climb. Some made it look easier than others. :) Once atop the hill, we passed the burial site of former President James K. Polk and his wife, Sarah. The tour guide, who was by far the most hilarious tour guide ever, told us that President Polk's home was located where the Main Library is today. Since the Polks were laid to rest on their property, they were moved to a more peaceful location before the library was built. Another fun fact about dead people and the Tennessee Capitol Building is that two former architects are entombed in the walls. William Strickland, who modeled the building after a Greek Ionic temple, can be found in the northeast wall. Samuel Dold, who oversaw the construction of the building, can be found in the southeast wall.

One of the most educational parts of our tour was viewing the painting, Pride of Tennessee. It depicts eleven people who played a prominent role in Tennessee's history. A few notables in the painting are former Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Sequoyah, and Davy Crockett.


At the conclusion of our tour, we walked the grounds and looked at the monuments in Bicentennial Park. Last, but not least, we rolled to the Farmers' Market for our trip back to school.



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