Designed by the renowned architect Theodore C. Link of St. Louis, the New Capitol was constructed 1901–1903 and dedicated before a crowd of 20,000 to 25,000 people. By tradition, all of the capitol’s nearly five thousand light bulbs are illuminated to mark the first day of the legislative session.
Image: Masonic trowel that was presented to Grand Master Emmet N. Thomas by the Mississippi State House Commission at the laying of the cornerstone of the New Capitol on June 3, 1903.