Washington State Seal

The Legislative Building has many decorative state seals found on draperies, benches, doorknobs, banisters, elevator doors, and more.

A polished bronze Washington State Seal sits right in the middle of the rotunda floor. At four feet wide, this is the largest state seal in the Legislative Building. It is roped off to prevent people from stepping on it.

History behind the state seal

Before Washington became a state in 1889, the State Seal Design Committee brought a complicated drawing to Charles Talcott, a local jeweler on Capitol Way in Olympia. They wanted him to make a die and press from the design. The drawing showed the port of Tacoma, fields of wheat, sheep, and Mount Rainier. Talcott said the design was too complicated and would become outdated. He suggested something simpler.

He used an ink bottle to draw a circle and placed a silver dollar in the circle to draw an inner ring. Between these circles, he wrote "The Seal of the State of Washington, 1889." In the center, he pasted a postage stamp with George Washington’s picture. The Design Committee thought the picture of George Washington wasn’t detailed enough, so Talcott’s brother, George, used a better image from a box of a cough medicine. After this small change, the committee quickly adopted this design as the official Washington State Seal.

Many versions of the state seal were used until 1967, when the Legislature commissioned Seattle graphic designer Richard Nelms to update the official seal. He selected a Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington, which was accepted and made the official State Seal by the Legislature. The original die and press are displayed at the Secretary of State’s office in the Legislative Building.