It was not until 1854 that Sacramento became the permanent site of the state capital. The city allowed the state the use of its new county courthouse as a temporary capitol building to be used until a permanent structure could be erected. The Legislature occupied the building until December, 1869, when the current capitol building became suitable for use by the Legislature and State offices. (See series entry 19, ALTERATIONS AND USE OF THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY COURTHOUSE BY THE STATE, 1854-1855; note records in this series in no way relate to the Capitol Commission which was not established until 1856.)Based on the records in the State Archives, very little can be said about the structure and administration of the 1856 Commission because very few documents have survived. The Commission met and decided on the architectural plan for the Capitol, drew up specifications, chose a contractor, and appointed a superintendent. It was ultimately responsible to oversee construction and to report to the Legislature on the state of construction (although it disbanded before it could report). The superintendent's function was to oversee daily construction and make periodic reports to the Commission. There is no evidence of any other employees beside the superintendent. None of the minute books, or reports of the superintendent exist. The records in the State Archives are composed almost entirely of contractor's proposals for the construction of the building.

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