During a bitterly contested 1899 state governor election, Democratic Party claimant William Goebel was assassinated at the capitol on his way to be inaugurated.

Both of these are the bronzed plaster models used for the bronze statues that represent Kentucky in the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.[7] In 1936, a marble statue of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederate States of America, was placed in the rotunda.

The statue of Davis was paid for by both donations and public funds, and erected under the auspices of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

[7] The Kentucky General Assembly voted to fund a bronze statue of Alben Barkley, former Vice President of the United States, and it was added to the rotunda in 1963.

While Nettie's influence was not statewide, the Historic Properties Advisory Commission considered her a representative example of Kentucky women who achieved professional and personal success.

It also features a rotunda with statues of famous Kentuckians and other exhibits, including Kentucky Women Remembered.

However, it also contains a small gift shop and lunch counter as well as a tunnel to the neighboring Capitol Annex building.

The Capitol used to be completely open during normal business hours, and local residents often used the marble hallways for exercise (the Frankfort equivalent of "mall walking").