Imagine if the West Virginia State Capitol were a giant time capsule and you could lift its magnificent golden dome and reveal the buried secrets about the Capitol’s past.

Sound intriguing?

“A Moving Monument: The West Virginia State Capitol” does the sleuthing for you. The 60-minute video produced by MotionMasters tells the story of the six statehouses that have served as West Virginia’s Capitol — a historical journey steeped with beauty, controversy and mystery.

The documentary shows the present day Capitol is more than amazing architecture. It’s a historical backdrop. Presidents and politicians have used it as a stage. Teachers and miners have protested there. Festivals, weddings and other special events have been celebrated on its grounds. The Capitol is a moving monument cherished by the people it represents.

Understanding the history of West Virginia and the tale of its Capitols takes more than a look at the present day Capitol that majestically stands guard on the banks of the Kanawha River. You must travel back in time.

Decades before West Virginia gained its statehood, Western Virginians had griped about such issues as unfair taxes and unequal representation in the General Assembly. During the American Revolution, a group of unhappy western residents even petitioned Congress to establish a new state beyond the Alleghenies. They proposed it be called “Westlyvania,” but their petition was ignored.

The documentary begins with the early struggles of a state that was born in the bloody conflict of the Civil War. It explains how some leaders fought against West Virginia’s founding because they believed it violated the new nation’s constitution.

Controversy over the location of the state’s seat of government is detailed as the video describes the political tug of war that shuttled the Capitol back and forth from Wheeling to Charleston. The Capitol made the journey so many times by steamboat that it was dubbed “The Floating Capitol.”

The documentary shows the state’s Capitols have been the scenes of more than just fiery legislative debates. Two of the Capitols were destroyed by fire. The story is told by some of those who saw history in the making, such as the 95-year-old woman who witnessed the burning of one of the Capitols in Charleston.

A remarkable period in West Virginia’s past is captured in the video — the building of the present day Capitol in Charleston’s East End. Viewers learn how architect Cass Gilbert — in the throes of the Great Depression — molded tons of steel, limestone and marble into an architectural and engineering marvel.

The documentary gives a bird’s eye view of how the project unfolded and provides insight about the life of Gilbert, one of the greatest architects of his time. It fast-forwards for some modern day analysis from Gilbert’s great granddaughter, an interior decorator herself, who visited the majestic building for the first time.

Visitors taking in the dizzying views of the Rotunda or the golden dome of the state Capitol no longer have to wonder about the history of this monument or the Capitols that came before it. “A Moving Monument: The West Virginia State Capitol” has opened that time capsule. The shadows that dance across the face of the building and the gleam of the sunlight on the dome’s gilded surface should be admired for their beauty. But this Capitol has a story to tell. And we were honored to tell it.