Mississippi’s New Capitol

The state’s most important and ornate public building, Mississippi’s Beaux Arts-style New Capitol, replaced the antebellum statehouse in a construction project lasting 30 months. Designed by Theodore Link of St. Louis, MO, and built by a Chicago construction firm, the building’s steel frame and use of modern materials like glass block and exposed light bulbs heralded a new age in Mississippi’s architectural history. This presentation will explore the Capitol’s architectural pedigree and highlight its stained glass, scagliola (art marble) and other fine details.

Speakers Expertise:

Jennifer Baughn has been the chief architectural historian at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History since 2007. She is the author of numerous articles on the state’s historic buildings including the book Buildings of Mississippi published in 2021. Her specialties include the architecture of Mississippi, historic school architecture, architectural documentation, archival research, and historical writing.