There were months of construction and a hurricane-forced delay but the reimagining of Florida’s first Capitol was finally debuted to the public on Friday.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the structure, built to resemble the log cabin that was the first state government headquarters, was led by Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey at Cascades park. It’s part of the celebration for Tallahassee-Leon County’s 200th anniversary.
About 100 people attended, including city staffers, volunteers, park-goers and four of the five members of the Tallahassee City Commission.
“The first Capitol was a log cabin built in 1824 with the establishment of Tallahassee as the territorial capital,” the state’s website says. “In the early 1820s, legislators transferred government business from St. Augustine to Pensacola for alternating sessions. Travel was hazardous and took almost 20 days.”
The cabin is meant to harken back to an earlier age but has to comply with modern standards: It features ceiling fans, glowing red exit signs, lighting and electrical outlets.