There was a time when our New Hampshire State House was not located down on Main Street in Concord, surrounded by fine landscaping and statues of famous people. In fact, the piece of land where our State House is located was once occupied by a small meeting house that was erected by the Quakers living in the area. It is fascinating to see the grand building today, because there was turmoil and competition, and many residents did not support Concord as the state capitol.
During New Hampshire’s early years, the town of Portsmouth was in fact viewed as the capitol. After the American Revolution, the honor of the location of the capitol of New Hampshire was debated and very contested, quite strongly actually. The towns in great competition were Manchester and Concord, with each town offering opportunities and logic as their allies.
Both places offered the state incentives for choosing their town as the capitol. When the decision was made, the honor was bestowed upon Concord. With the thought of the state capitol as our “king,” the second-place Manchester was nicknamed the “queen” city and we still use that term affectionately to this very day.
After Concord was chosen, there was immense pressure on the town fathers to honor and follow through with the promises they made to the state. Most prominent of the promises, a location would be provided to New Hampshire for free to build the State House. Locations within Concord were considered for months, with the two most likely locations for the being the land where our Merrimack County Court House is located today and the current location of the State House.
There was much bantering and the discussions grew heated in Concord. There was a promise to the state to provide free land for the State House in a limited time period, and the clock was ticking. The favored location was chosen and the land was purchased by Concord from the Quaker Friends. The meeting house was moved, and a new street constructed as promised to surround the new state house on all sides with access streets. Capitol Street was built and the land cleared and prepared for the State House to be constructed.
The Cornerstone was laid for the first State House on Sept. 24, 1816. The sum of $3,000 was appropriated by the New Hampshire Legislature in order to start the project after the two-acre parcel was presented to the state in the form of a donation from Concord citizens. The first State House was to be grand and the finest material representing the people of New Hampshire was chosen.
It was to be built of granite, but not just any granite: granite from the nearby Rattlesnake Hill. Many granite surface boulders were available and easily accessed on the south side of Rattlesnake Hill. The boulders were harvested and transported upon large wagons pulled by oxen down the hill to the New Hampshire State Prison. The prison during this period was located on the east end of Beacon and Tremont Streets in Concord. The prisoners housed at the old New Hampshire State Prison processed, cut and shaped the boulders into large granite blocks for constructing the first State House. The granite was also delivered free of charge to the Main Street location by the citizens of Concord.
On July 18, 1818, the placement of the gilded eagle on top of the State House dome was completed in a public ceremony. The first New Hampshire State House was officially completed in 1819 with a total expenditure of $82,000.
As our state grew and the needs for a larger state house were frequently discussed, another project involving our state house was considered. Ground was once again broken on Sept. 20, 1864, at the New Hampshire State House to enlarge the building. The enlargement lasted for two years and the construction was completed and occupied for the convening of the legislature on June 6, 1866. The total cost of the enlargement to the New Hampshire State House was $200,000. The enlargement project completed in 1866 increased the overall depth of the building on the west side while adding a French roof story on the west side as well as the north and south wings. The representative’s hall was enlarged as well as the Senate chambers. With the exterior of the building greatly improved by the addition of the portico and the removal of the doors leading into the north and south wings of the building.
With the success of the 1866 enlargement to the State House, a third renovation with a new addition was started in 1910. It was completed with a formal dedication on Oct. 25, 1910, where the public was invited to tour the building. The final cost of the 1910 renovation was $280,000.
Our New Hampshire State House remains in pristine condition over two centuries after the first State House was constructed. The hallowed halls have hosted many dignitaries and heads of state as well as about 75 governors beginning with William Plumer’s second term (1816-1819) to Gov. Kelly Ayotte today. It is interesting to note our New Hampshire Governors initially served only one-year terms for the first century without term limitations compared to our current two-year terms.
As I travel about Concord and navigate the roads along the streets and highways, it is the clear view of our New Hampshire State House’s gold dome that always welcomes me home.