Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

October 17, 2013

I don't recall ever having visited a State Capitol before.  Perhaps as a kid, our school took a field trip to Sacramento but I really don't remember.  If I did, it obviously didn't impress me.  So, I was amazed at the beauty of the Pennsylvania State Capitol.

Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg

John Frederic Hartranft, major general in the Union Army during the Civil War

 and governor of Pennsylvania from 1873 to 1879

Rotunda of Pennsylvania State Capitol features a 272-foot high, 

52-million pound dome which was modeled after St. Peter's in Rome

Just one of the many murals around the rotunda, "The Spirit of Religious Liberty"

The Senate Chamber - each chandelier weighs two tons!  I sure wouldn't want to be sitting under one of those.  The desks are made from mahogany from Belize and date back to 1906.  The green marble lining the walls is from Ireland.  

The House Chamber, the marble used in this room is from the Pyrenees Mountains in France, 

Still in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

State Street, between the capitol and the Susquehanna River must have the highest density of churches found anywhere.  It seemed as if every other building was a church.  Actually, I think there were only four, it just seemed like a lot because they were close together.  The buildings that once were fancy houses are now office buildings and/or apartments. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral, State Street, was founded in 1826, this church was built in 1907, copying the style of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.  

We entered the church not knowing mass was being said so I snuck a quick picture just to remember how beautiful it was. 

The dome of St. Patrick's Cathedral complements the dome of the State Capitol.

United Methodist Church, State Street, built in 1874

St. Lawrence Catholic Church, State Street, the parish was founded in 1859 by the area's German speaking Catholics.  This church was completed and opened in 1918.

State Street, the dome of St. Patrick's is on the left.

St. Michael's Lutheran Church, State Street, built in 1906

Pine Street Presbyterian Church, built in 1860.

The Cameron Mansion, J Donald Cameron was a politician who was Secretary of War, 1876 to 1877, under President U.S. Grant, then was a Senator from 1877 to 1897.

The Susquehanna River.  The day we left Hershey Thousand Trails, the sun was shining and the sky was a brilliant blue.  The reflection of this bridge on the water was spectacular.  I wanted to stop the motorhome right in the middle of traffic to take a picture, but of course I couldn't, so the memory will have to be sufficient!

National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg

We were heading to Gettysburg so a stop at this museum in Harrisburg was a good introduction to the Civil War.  It presents the entire war, beginning to end.  From the firing on Fort Sumter, South Carolina, on April 12, 1861, to General Robert E. Lee's surrender in Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.  Skirmishes continued over the next several months but Lee's surrender was the beginning of the end to the Civil War.

Moment of Mercy by Sculptor Terry Jones 

The first official flag of the Confederacy, called the "Stars and Bars," was flown from March 5, 1861, to May 26, 1863.  In 1863 the design was changed because this one caused confusion among the Union and Confederate armies because it was too similar to the U.S. flag of the U.S. Army.

Next:  Battle of Gettysburg