there are nearly 5,000 pieces of individually cut pash el. the center of the room is the most interesting. it's a key to american history as it was when the floor was laid in 1858. the center circle houses 13 individual pieces of cut stone or cutg3u" marble. it's said that those represent the 13 colonies. that last band that binds all those states together represents the u.s. constitution. the state house opened for business in 1857. the ground floor, first floor and most of the building was completed minus the center of the state house. as the height grew, so did the time that it took to complete. the legislature, both the house and senate moved into their chambers in 1857 as did the governor, he moved into the brand new governor's office, and that first governor to reside in this building was salmon p. chase. he went on to become abraham lincoln's secretary of the treasury. and the chief justice of the u.s. supreme court. i would like to take you inside the governor's office and take a look at this history that resides in the space. our cur