State capitol buildings in the United States embody the constitutional commitments found within the text of each state constitution, buildings that some have called the very temples of democracy. Each state capitol building in the United States presents the basic, fundamental attentiveness of the state government to the people it serves. Some of the capitols are small, domed buildings with expansive wings, while others are tall, executive-style towers reaching upward toward the heavens. Some are cloistered in urban areas. Most are set in rural settings. Some harken back to classical Rome, while others celebrate the preeminence of modern man. One thing they all have in common: each embodies the values of their respective constitutions while continuously serving as the seats of governance for the states and their citizens. In general, the shape and design of state capitol buildings can be understood in three common categories: the statehouse, the domed capitol, and the executive tower. The statehouse form generally has a flat or slightly pitched roof with some type of spire or lantern capping off the building. Some statehouses are built with flat fronts and square windows in a federal style while others incorporated columns and wide porticos. Many early American capitols have slightly pitched or flat roofs and small areas for assembly and the conduct of business. The first capitol was a flat, adobe structure in Santa Fe, while later colonial capitol buildings in the northeast generally had pitched roofs to allow snow and precipitation to roll off.