Public Corridors

Overview

The Capitol has five levels of spacious corridors. These hallways include elaborate classical ornamentation including the beautifully carved woodwork, plaster moldings, cast iron columns, stairways and double-acid etched door lights and transoms. Originally, the first three levels and the ground floor had encaustic tile flooring laid in intricate patterns of hexagons and squares to resemble oriental carpeting. Beginning in 1936 in commemoration of the Texas Centennial, terrazzo flooring replaced the tile. The 1990s building restoration placed reproduction encaustic tiles in the second and third floor back halls to provide a glimpse of the historic material.