H.C.R. No. 104
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1-1 WHEREAS, Many people were involved in the Capitol Restoration
1-2 project but for one very special individual, our esteemed
1-3 colleague, the Honorable Debra Danburg, the preservation and
1-4 restoration of this historic seat of Texas government represented a
1-5 fiduciary duty that required prompt action by state officials to
1-6 ensure its continued existence as a shrine to Texas history; and
1-7 WHEREAS, From its inception, the vision of the present Texas
1-8 Capitol was a grand one; the previous Capitol had been destroyed by
1-9 fire on November 9, 1881, and, though the building's loss expedited
1-10 the need for the completion of the new Capitol, those who were
1-11 involved with the construction process in 1888 also had to contend
1-12 with a number of frustrating delays throughout the ordeal; and
1-13 WHEREAS, On March 4, 1884, the first 60 tons of limestone
1-14 were delivered to the Capitol grounds, only to be rejected because
1-15 the material did not meet required standards; after the decision
1-16 was made to switch from limestone to granite, a special railroad
1-17 had to be constructed to carry the stone from Granite Mountain in
1-18 Burnet County to Austin, resulting in further delays; and
1-19 WHEREAS, Other problems were soon to follow; though the state
1-20 had agreed to use convict labor, labor unions were opposed to such
1-21 competition and, as a result, stonecutters were brought in from
1-22 Scotland to continue construction in an action that prompted a
1-23 lawsuit and a boycott of the project by the International
1-24 Association of Granite Cutters; and
2-1 WHEREAS, Despite these and other delays, six years and 10
2-2 months after the project had been started, the building was finally
2-3 accepted by the Capitol board and in May of 1888, the new State
2-4 Capitol was dedicated and opened for business, having achieved the
2-5 proper balance between symbolic expression and functionalism; and
2-6 WHEREAS, Texans have always taken great pride in the beauty
2-7 of their State Capitol and with good reason; modeled on the U.S.
2-8 Capitol in Washington, D.C., the monument is shaped like a Greek
2-9 cross with a magnificent rotunda in the middle; and
2-10 WHEREAS, Though the symbolic value of the Capitol has
2-11 remained in the structure's majestic spaces throughout its
2-12 existence, changing technology and increased personnel soon created
2-13 a growing number of functional problems that hindered the
2-14 building's effectiveness as a workplace; through the years,
2-15 solutions to these problems were addressed in a piecemeal fashion,
2-16 resulting in a building that was not only inefficient but also
2-17 structurally unsound and contaminated by asbestos; and
2-18 WHEREAS, To address this serious problem, the 68th
2-19 Legislature created the State Preservation Board and in 1988, 100
2-20 years after the Capitol first opened its doors, an architect was
2-21 hired and the development of a master plan for the Capitol
2-22 Restoration project was begun; and
2-23 WHEREAS, After a thorough study of space and safety
2-24 requirements, it was determined that new construction was
2-25 inescapable if the Capitol were to be preserved as a working seat
2-26 of Texas government; any visible, aboveground structure was ruled
2-27 out for historic reasons and it was determined that an "invisible"
3-1 building should be constructed belowground, with its roof
3-2 attractively landscaped to retain the area's former character; and
3-3 WHEREAS, The 71st Legislature approved funds for the project
3-4 and on April 26, 1990, State Preservation Board members
3-5 participated in the official groundbreaking ceremony to begin
3-6 excavation work; from the start, the Capitol Restoration project
3-7 was the subject of controversy among those who questioned the
3-8 wisdom of spending nearly $150 million on the project when the
3-9 state faced so many other pressing concerns; and
3-10 WHEREAS, Fortunately for the citizens of this state,
3-11 Ms. Danburg, as a native Texan, had long served as a strong voice
3-12 for her fellow Texans who were not willing to see this majestic
3-13 symbol of our statehood fall into further disrepair or be destroyed
3-14 by fire; and
3-15 WHEREAS, Determined to keep the project on track, Ms. Danburg
3-16 became the "mother hen" of the restoration effort, participating in
3-17 weekly "deficiency tours" to highlight just how dangerous the
3-18 Capitol had become and successfully helping to fend off numerous
3-19 attempts to raid the Capitol Restoration fund and further delay the
3-20 construction schedule; and
3-21 WHEREAS, Like her forebears, Debra Danburg made the
3-22 preservation and restoration of the Capitol one of her top
3-23 priorities and her unwavering dedication to this goal has helped to
3-24 ensure that this magnificent architectural masterpiece will remain
3-25 a cherished cultural legacy and an outstanding example of historic
3-26 preservation in which all Texans can take great pride; now,
3-27 therefore, be it
4-1 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
4-2 hereby commend the Honorable Debra Danburg for her exceptional
4-3 leadership in the Capitol Restoration project; and, be it further
4-4 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
4-5 prepared for Ms. Danburg as an expression of high regard by her
4-6 colleagues in the Legislature of the State of Texas.