Series 1134

Capitol Commission Capitol design competition renderings, i 1909-1917.

0.35 cubic foot and 1 microfilm reel

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

See history of the records' creator.

Summary of Records

In order to select an architect to design Utah's State Capitol building, the Capitol Commission sponsored a design competition. This series includes the rules for the design contest, photographic examples of work done by interested architects, booklets and photographs showing the proposed capitol designs submitted by various competitors, and a sampling of the Programs of Competition returned by architects who intended to enter the competition.

Scope and Content

In order to select an architect to design Utah's State Capitol building, the Capitol Commission sponsored a design competition. Architects who wished to participate were required to demonstrate that they possessed the necessary expertise by submitting examples of their work. Those that were approved to participate received a Program of Competition outlining the rules of the competition and the design program for the proposed capitol. This Program of Competition was to be signed by the architect, agreeing to the terms of the competition, and returned to the Commission. The architects were then free to submit their proposals for the new capitol.
The Program of Competition states that "all drawings of the unsuccessful competitors will be returned to them" and no full-scale architectural drawings are included in this series. Nevertheless, the contents of this series suggest that submission materials included other items, especially presentation booklets and photographs, that were not allreturned to the architects.
The out-of-state architects allowed to participate were limited to seven firms from Boston, New York, Chicago, Denver, and Boise. In addition, numerous Utah architects submitted designs. This series does not contain material from all the competitors. Most notably , there are no submission materials from Richard K. A. Kletting, who won the competition, or from the firm of Young and Sons, which came in second. The series contains a sampling of materials documenting the competition process and the variety of designs that were considered by the Capitol Commission.
The series includes the rules for the design contest, photographic examples of work done by interested architects, booklets and photographs showing the proposed capitol designs submitted by various competitors, and a sampling of the Program of Competition booklets returned by architects who intended to enter the competition.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by name of individual architect or firm.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.
This series is available online as part of the Utah State Archives Digital Archives.

Access Restrictions

This series is classified as Public.

Use Restrictions

These records are available for reproduction and use.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Acquisition Information

These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.

Processing Information

The design competition materials were processed to the item level with duplicate copies weeded, alphabetical arrangement imposed, acidic documents removed and replaced with xerox copies on acid free paper, and the photographs placed in photograph folders. The entire series was also microfilmed in 1993.

Related Material

Correspondence from the Capitol Commission, Series 1132, contains correspondence addressing the design competition.
Newspaper clippings from the Capitol Commission, Series 11273, include articles related to the design competition.
Minutes from the Capitol Commission, Series 11274, include a record of all decisions made concerning the design and ongoing construction of the capitol building.

Container List

ReelBoxFolderDescription
111F. M. Andrews & Co., examples of work
112Capitol Commission, "Conditions Governing A Competition for a Capitol Building"
113G. Henri Desmond, design submission photographs
114Frank W. Moore, design submission booklet
115Watkins, Birch, & Kent, Eldredge & Chesebro, design submission photographs
116Palmer and Hornbostel, examples of work
117J. E. Tourtellotte & Co., examples of work
118J. E. Tourtellotte & Co., design submission booklet
119Ware and Treganza, Pope and Burton, Associated Architects, design submission booklet
n/a110Program of Competition booklets for Cannon, Fetzer & Ramm Hansen, G. Henri Desmond, Miles E. Miller, F. D. Rutherford, Louis T. Shipley, J. E. Tourtellotte & Co., George S. Walker, and Ware & Treganza, Pope & Burton.