South Dakota’s Capitol building in Pierre was built between 1905-1910 and an annex was added in 1932. The building has been used every day since then as State of South Dakota offices, the home of the South Dakota Supreme Court, and the home of the South Dakota State Legislature, which meets each year from January to March.
Capital Building Interior – Scagliola columns, stained glass windows, statues and artwork adorn the inside of the Neoclassical building. The floor in the capitol building is made of terrazzo tile. From the first floor, a marble staircase leads upstairs. The dome of the rotunda is 96 feet high. The interior of the dome is decorated with sixteen images of the Tree of Life. The dome also displays acanthus leaves to represent wisdom and a pasque flower, which is the state flower.
Capital Building 2nd and 3rd Floor – On the 2nd floor of the capital building, the marble statue at the eastern end of the long corridor bears the likeness of General William H. H. Beadle. Beadle is memorialized in the Capitol for his many noteworthy accomplishments for South Dakota. In 1869 President Grant appointed him surveyor-general of Dakota Territory. The 3rd floor houses the state’s House of Representatives and the state’s Senate. The galleries for both, from which the public can observe the legislative process, are located on the fourth floor
