This money was enough to fund the 1885-1886 decoration of the Governor’s Office Suite, the House Chamber, the Senate Chamber, the east corridor (first floor), the Supreme Court Chamber, and a portion of the rotunda.

Fifteen different American-based companies submitted bids for the first phase of decorative work. After reviewing the proposals, the State Capitol Decoration Board awarded the contract to the William Wright Company of Detroit.

But that didn’t mean that the Wright Company would paint the entire building. Additional appropriations bills would need to be introduced, passed, and signed during subsequent legislative sessions.