Construction of the East Wing

The Cornerstone was laid October 17, 1866. It was yellow limestone placed in the northeast corner of of the building. A brown sandstone was originally planned for the structure but after a severe winter it crumbled into a mass of mud. It was then replaced by the limestone which came from Geary County, Kansas.

In December, 1869 the state officers were moved from Old Constitution Hall, now 427-429 Kansas Avenue, and the legislature of 1870 met in the new Capitol. The Senate and the House of Representatives both met in the new hall, with a wall dividing the room. The hall is now the Senate Chamber. The east wing was completed in 1873.

A stone fence was built for protection against the village cows and other animals. As Topeka grew there was a clamor for the removal of the " unsightly stone fence." Citizens insisted it should be replaced with an "up-to-date fence," so a "five-board pig-tight fence" was constructed around the Capitol Square.