Half A Bench

Half a bench is apparently better than no bench at all.

(West Capitol Park with the Old State Education Building in the background)

Lincoln's Last Journey

Civil War reenactors gather for a group photo on the steps of the New York State Capitol following yesterday's ceremony commemorating the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's funeral journey.

The Toothless Lion

The eyes of this lion on the State Capitol are still fierce, but he's long since lost his teeth.  I remember seeing short, broken stumps in his mouth when I was very little, but even those are gone now.  The buffalo on the opposite side of the Capitol is likewise missing his horns.

A Capitol Lady

Framed by berries, this lovely lady is yet another of the scores of carved faces that decorate the State Capitol, inside and out. 

The Capitol Dog

An amiable canine face is one of the many carving on the exterior of the New York State Capitol. It can be found on the State Street side of the port-cochere which runs beneath the massive eastern stairs.

Other Capitol carvings I've blogged about:

Capitol Faces
Capitol Cherub

Capitol Park Plaque

This plaque - one of the Bicentennial Tablets - is easy to miss as it's set low to the ground. Located in the park on the east side of the State Capitol, it gives a short, but significant history of the previous Capitol building on the site.

Capitol Faces

It might sound a little cliched to say it, but the New York State Capitol is most definitely a showcase of the stone carver's art. Both inside and out, the building features scores of stone faces. Some are portraits of figures from the State's history, others were left to the whims of the carvers. This handsome male face, surrounded by hammers and a carpenter's square, can be found just above the south side of the Goblin Passage.