Capiz Provincial Capitol

Built ca. 1915, the Capiz Provincial Capitol is one of a number designed by the American architect, William Parsons. Born in Akron, Ohio in 1872, and educated in Yale, Columbia and the Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris, France, Parsons organized the architectural office of the Bureau of Public Works. He was connected with the Bureau from 1905-14.

Heritage Features: The capitol belongs to the “California style” inspired by the California missions, characteristic of Parson’s earlier design. Although elements of Classical architecture are evident in the central portal, and the generous use of Roman arches for windows, the capitol lacks the temple-like look of Neoclassical capitols and municipal halls. The style has a overhanging pitched roof supported by protruding carved corbels. Capiz window shutters give the building an informal and domestic, rather than a solemn or hieratic, air. All told, the style is a modern and simplified interpretation of Spanish-Filipino architecture of the 19th century. The building is integrated into a trapezoidal lot and takes full advantage of the limited space. The foyer of the capitol leads to a graceful flight of stairs leading to the upper stories. A light well illumines the capitol’s interior.