CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Eight murals will soon be on display in the West Virginia State Capitol Rotunda.
The artwork will depict iconic state scenes and landmarks, according to a recent announcement made by Gov. Jim Justice.
Randall Reid-Smith, cabinet secretary of the state Department of Arts, Culture and History, said the murals will be installed between April and November.
“The scaffolding is up, and the first two murals will go up. We’re starting with the history murals. They’re half circles/half-moons called lunettes and they were intended to be historical pictures of West Virginia,” he said.
Reid-Smith said the murals were meant to be installed when the Capitol was dedicated in 1932, but there was never any funding available to support the project.
“There was no extra money to do these things. The Capitol was dedicated 91 years ago and there were 18 governors, 19 if you count (Gov. Cecil) Underwood twice, and we never got this done,” he said.
Today, I announced the addition of eight new murals in the State Capitol Rotunda. Our State Capitol is already the most stunning in the nation, and the addition of these murals will only add to its beauty.
Details: https://t.co/2qQDmB9iSG
The first four murals ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dzgW3jsPPU
— Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) April 3, 2024
The murals will be installed at the 3rd floor level of the Rotunda, at approximately 52’10” high from the 1st Floor level.
“Our State Capitol is already one of the most stunning in the nation, and the addition of these murals will only add to its beauty,” Justice said in a news release. “This is something that’s been talked about since the Capitol’s completion in 1932, and here we are nearly 100 years later, finally, getting this project across the finish line. I cannot wait for these to be finished.”
According to the Governor’s Office, the installation process will roll out in phases, with four lunettes (semi-circular spaces above doorways) being completed first, followed by four pendentives (curved triangular sections supporting a dome).
The construction schedule is as follows:
- April 1: Installation begins with the “Battle of Philippi Bridge” and “State Seal” lunettes.
- June 3: Installation continues with the “Shiveree of Seneca Rock” and “Harpers Ferry 1859” lunettes.
- Aug. 5: Work begins on the first two pendentives.
- Sept. 16: Work continues on the remaining two pendentives.
- Nov. 12: Scaffolding dismantled and removed from the site.
The murals will be dedicated during a ceremony with Gov. Justice on June 20.