Community residents and business owners parked their vehicles behind the First Northern Trust Bank in Palmerton to board a bus and make their way to the state Capitol. The Carbon Chamber and Economic Development led its first tour around Harrisburg for the day.

Blue Mountain Resort sponsored the event with stops at the Governor's Residence and the State Capitol buildings. The group was met by state Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, for a private tour onto the floor of the House of Representatives and through the Governor's Reception Room.Under the guidance of the Chamber's Executive Director Marlyn Kissner, Member Relations Director Alice Wannamaker and Economic Director Kathy Henderson, the group walked the historic buildings and saw three new representatives taking the oath to be sworn into the House."We hope to do another tour in the future," said Kissner.10 Capitol Facts• Pennsylvania's Capitol building was officially opened Oct. 4, 1906, after a fire in 1897 destroyed the original building.• The Capitol Rotunda features a 272-foot high, 52-million pound dome modeled after St. Peter's in Rome.• The largest mural in the Capitol, Austin Abbey's "The Apotheosis" is located directly behind the Speaker of the House's podium and spans 35 square feet. The painting includes explorers, intellectuals, spiritual and military leaders from the state's past with William Penn front and center.• 28-year-old Violet Oakley was the first woman commissioned to paint the inside of the Capitol. Her art work covers the walls of the Senate Chamber.• The Pennsylvania Supreme Court is the oldest and first Supreme Court in the nation. It was established in 1722, pre-dating the U.S. Supreme Court by 67 years.• Moravian tiles created in Doylestown by Henry Chapman Mercer are still in place as the Capitol's floor. The tile creator is still in business in Doylestown over one hundred years later.• The Senate holds 50 members, the House of Representatives holds 203 members with Democrats sitting on the left and Republicans on the right in both chambers. Each body of government meets Monday-Wednesday at 11 a.m., with the public being permitted to watch from stadium-style seating.• The Speaker of the House is the oldest statewide elected position in Pennsylvania. Republican Mike Turzai has been the Speaker of the House since Jan. 6, 2015.• In 1790 commonwealth residents chose their first elected governor, Thomas Mifflin. The governor's office is used for news conferences, receptions and bill signings, with Oakley's art work bordering the ceiling with scenes depicting the Quaker religion.• The Matthew J. Ryan Legislative Office Building was built in 1894 and is the oldest structure on Harrisburg's Capitol Hill. It is named for House Speaker Matthew J. Ryan of Delaware County, who served the house for 40 years working as Speaker of the House from 1995 until his death in 2003.