JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Work on renovating and repairing the more-than-century-old state capitol building continues in Jefferson City as the state legislature prepares for the final week of the legislative session.
And as construction workers continue to operate outside the building, the decisions being made inside will have a huge effect on just how the Capitol might look when the project finally wraps up in 2020.
The Missouri State Capitol Commission on Wednesday selected what type of stone will be used to replace the original stone in the facade that has been too damaged.
After looking to three different options, as the source for the current stones is not available, the commission selected stone from the Phenix Marble Company, which is located just outside of Springfield, Mo. The stone comes from the same line of the original stone, an Ozark Gray marble quarried out of Carthage, Mo.
To better understand how the stones would work, restoration crews installed examples of each of the three in different locations for viewing, while the design team also showed wet and dry examples to the commission to aid them in their selection.
When the project is completed, the Phenix stone is expected to make up about five percent of the Capitol facade.
The renovation project is scheduled for completion in December 2020.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
