Bronze Doors
Six decorative bronze doors serve as the main entrance to the Legislative Building.
Facts
About the Bronze Doors
At the top of the North Steps, there are giant bronze doors that secure the north entrance to the Legislative Building. Made by the W. H. Jackson Company in New York city, these doors were installed in 1927.
The bronze doors have carved images that show the industries and natural resources of Washington state. The State Capitol Committee chose the subject matter for the images and held a contest for citizens to share their designs with the architects of the Legislative Building, Walter R. Wilder and Harry K. White. The carvings on the doors include:
- A sailing vessel
- A waterfall
- A herd of sheep
- A logging crew and oxen
- A schoolhouse
- The Territorial Capitol building
The doors also have lion heads holding a ring in their mouths, which serve as door handles. They feature Greco-Roman inspired flower designs, which are found throughout the inside of the Legislative Building as well.
Each door is just over 15 feet tall and weighs roughly one ton, or 2,000 pounds. Due to their size, they are seen as more decorative than functional. Smaller brass doors stand behind them for visitors and staff to open and close as they pass through the entrance. However, as heavy as the doors are, they still do open and close easily. During Legislative Building tours, a tour guide might ask you to pull on one of the heavy doors as if you’re going to shut it.
Governor Roland Hartley with Boy Scouts in front of the bronze doors, 1930s. Photo courtesy of Washington State Archives.
