The State Capitol was built in exchange for 3 million acres of land in the Texas Panhandle. The State Capitol opened on May 16, 1888. The Texas Capitol is similar to the National Capitol in style except it is around 7 feet taller. The Texas Capitol is the tallest in the United States. All of the building materials were obtained within the state. Granite was not in the original plans. Limestone was to be used, but was rejected when the first shipment came in. Fool's gold was found to be in the limestone. The fool's gold rusted and ended up marring the limestone.