North Carolina State Capitol reopens to the public after year-long restoration project

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Visitors are once again welcome at the North Carolina State Capitol.

The capitol reopened to the public Monday morning for the first time since May of last year. That’s when crews started a year-long restoration project, replacing the roof and the stone outside of the building and installing a new heating and cooling system.

Site administrator Terra Schramm says this is the building’s first new roof in over 50 years and only the third time it’s been replaced since it opened in 1840.

“We’ve got to take care of the exterior of a historic building,” Schramm said. “If water and things come inside of the building, it really damages the historic interior.

The project was paid for by the General Assembly. The last repairs were finished in late June.

Greg Bem and a friend were the first visitors to walk in for a tour Monday morning. They said they were impressed by what they saw.

“It’s clean and seems to be impeccable,” Bem said. “The design is really impressive. It’s going to be really exciting exploring today.”

State officials say the capitol averages around 100,000 visitors every year.

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