Furniture Tour - Senate Chamber
Take a seat on a bench and enjoy the view from the Senate Gallery!
Senate Chamber Rostrum
The Senate Rostrum is original to the building and was made by the Feige Brothers Company. It is a Renaissance Revival style piece made of walnut.
The patterned rectangular ornaments along the top of the rostrum are decorative plaques, covered in burled walnut veneer. Burled wood comes from abnormal knots at the base of a tree that create unique, beautiful designs.
Senate Desks
The solid walnut desks on the Senate floor are original to the building and were purchased from the Kappes & Eggers Company of Chicago for $13.97 ½ apiece. The desks are fashioned in the Eastlake style and feature the style’s hallmark incised linework.
The cutouts on the side of the desk and the burled veneers on the front of the piece are two other features that denote the Eastlake style. Look closely and you may also notice that a layer of wood has been attached to the bottom of each desk to make them taller and, therefore, more comfortable for a modern user.
Senate Lecterns
When a senator wishes to speak during session, they stand at one of these lecterns with their hand raised and wait to be acknowledged. These lecterns are fashioned in the Gothic Revival style, most associated with religious architecture. The quatrefoil designs on the sides and front of the lectern, along with the pointed elements in its corners, are typical of this style.
While the lecterns are created to look antique, they are contemporary furnishings made by Senate carpenters. Below, you can see that an area has been added to support a phone.
As a working building, the Capitol must strike a careful balance between historical accuracy and practicality for those using it today.
We hope you enjoyed your tour of the finest furniture in the Michigan State Capitol! Return to the elevator in the east wing to head down to the ground floor.