|
Improvements & Renovations |
In 1845, the Legislature passed a law to refurbish the State House and its facilities and to build several necessary additions. The extra buildings would house two new double offices and would be located on either corner of the State House’s front yard. Ten thousand dollars was appropriated for the project, which began immediately under the contract of the renowned Philadelphia architect, John Notman. In 1872, a second renovation took place under the supervision of architect Samuel Sloan. Sloan’s project included extending the library wing and executive suite to be used for committee meetings of the Legislature. The new Governor’s suite would be located in the old Senate area, and the Assembly chamber would become office space for the Governor’s staff. The 1872 construction also brought new Senate and Assembly chambers with galleries and offices for the Senate President and Assembly Speaker. The State House was a masterful architectural structure, effectively serving our government.
|
Among
the many improvements Notman made were a rotunda with a dome,
a two-storied porch with eight pillars, and a "fully modernized"
Senate chamber. Fireplaces were constructed in every office along with
two in the library, which was built on the third floor. The library
was eventually relocated to a separate building and replaced by the
chancery court and Supreme Court of New Jersey in 1866. In addition
to the structural and interior changes, Notman planted shade trees and
bushes in the building’s foreground to improve the aesthetic value of
the capitol.