After more than a century, Nassau, Bronx counties added to State Capitol staircase

ALBANY — Nassau County on Tuesday finally took its place with New York’s other counties on what’s known as the "Million Dollar Staircase" in the State Capitol in Albany, after having been missing for more than 125 years.

Nassau and Bronx counties were the only two counties not originally represented on what's officially called the Great Western Staircase when it was built in the late 1800s because they hadn’t been incorporated as counties yet, according to the state Office of General Services.

Nassau County was established in 1899 and Bronx County was founded in 1914. The staircase was completed earlier in 1899, according to the state.

Both counties were added to the staircase after it was discovered they were missing by a former tour guide who now heads the State Capitol Tours program. The names of all 62 of New York’s counties are now represented.

"This moment represents strength for the community," Assemb. Michaelle C. Solages (D-Elmont) said at the unveiling on Tuesday. "This is just more than an unveiling, it’s really a celebration of its people, of the culture of New York State, the history that binds us as New Yorkers."

 "Now we’re permanently etched in the Million Dollar Staircase," Solages said.  

The cost of adding both counties' names was $45,371, including scaffolding erection and removal, mock-up and the carving, according to the Office of General Services.

The 120-foot tall, ornate staircase has 444 steps and spans four floors of the State Capitol. It took 14 years to construct and includes hand-carved depictions of former governors, U.S. presidents and famous New Yorkers including poets, activists and abolitionists. Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a Brooklyn native, was added to the staircase in 2023.

The staircase earned its "Million Dollar" nickname because it cost $1.5 million to construct, equivalent to $32 million in 2020, according to the Office of General Services.

The names of Nassau and Bronx counties were carved by David Ross of Albany-based Adam Ross Cut Stone.

"The Bronx and Nassau belong in this remarkable space," state Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said at the unveiling. The office "is proud to have played a role in ensuring that all corners of our state are represented on this grand staircase."