Indiana Statehouse
The Indiana Statehouse (or State House)[1] is the state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. Housing the Indiana General Assembly, the Governor of Indiana, the state courts, and other state officials, it is located in the state capital Indianapolis at 200 West Washington Street. It is the fourth state capitol building.
Construction
With Indiana's rapid increase in population during the mid nineteenth century, the state's government also increased in size. The third state capitol building became cramped and was no longer able to house all of the state government functions. The administration of Governor James D. Williams proposed the construction of the fourth state capitol building the Indiana General Assembly in the legislative session of 1878. The third state capitol building was razed and the new building was constructed on the same site. Two million dollars was appropriated for construction and the new building and it was completed in 1888. Governor Williams, who was famed for his frugality, was able to complete the project for 1.8 million and returned the extra $200,000 to the general fund.[2]
A team of commissioners, including former Civil War general and civil engineer Thomas A. Morris, planned and oversaw the project. The structure was designed by Edwin May, an Indianapolis architect. The legislature had instructed that the new capitol be built on a solid foundation so that it would last for many decades. Construction began in 1880 and the cornerstone was laid on September 28. The Edwin May died in February of 1880 and Adolph Sherrer supervised the project for the entire construction period. The interior was modeled using the Italian Renaissance styles. Wherever possible native materials were used. Doors were made of Indiana oak and Indiana limestone was used throughout. The building's corner stone is a ten ton block of limestone quarried in Spencer, Indiana. The central done was completed in 1883. The building as wired for electricity, even though no electric plan was available to power the building. In 1887 the building was sufficiently finished for the first legislative session to be held in the new capitol. Construction ultimately took eight years and the building was finally completed in October 1888.[3]
The building is laid out in the shape of a cross. A large central rotunda with a domed ceiling connects the four wings. The structure was built four stories high. The first floor housed the executive offices of the administration. The Indiana House of Representatives offices and chambers where placed on the second floor's east side. The Indiana State Senate offices where placed on the second floor's west side. The Indiana Supreme Court's office where put on the north end of the second floor. The building was constructed with the intention that it was to house the entire government of the state. For several decades all the government bureaus were established in the building until the government again outgrew the structure and several bureaus were moved to separate office buildings.[4]
The hole was bored in the corner stone a time capsule was placed inside containing forty-two items. The items included an annual reports from all the government agencies, a Bible, samples of several varieties of crops grown in Indiana, several new coins, local maps and newspapers, a book on the history of Indianapolis, and pamphlets from many of the city's institutions.[5]
Previous State Capitols
When Indiana first became a state in 1816, the capital was located in Corydon. The Old Capitol Building there is now a state historic site. In 1825, the general assembly moved the capital to Indianapolis and met in the Marion County Courthouse. In 1831, the general assembly authorized construction of a state house on the same site as the current state house. This building, designed by the firm of Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis, had a design inspired by the Greek Parthenon and opened circa 1840. By the 1860s, it was becoming dilapidated, and it was demolished in 1877 to make way for the current building.[6]
References
- ↑ http://www.in.gov/jobs/calendar/2007hs.pdf
- ↑ Gray, Ralph D.: Indiana History: A Book of Readings. Indiana University Press, Indiana 1995, ISBN 0-253-32629-X, S. 184 (google.com).
- ↑ Indiana Historical Bureau: In Clear Arrangement. IN.gov, abgerufen am 1. Juni 2008.
- ↑ Indiana Historical Bureau: In Clear Arrangement. IN.gov, abgerufen am 1. Juni 2008.
- ↑ Indiana Historical Bureau: In Clear Arrangement. IN.gov, abgerufen am 1. Juni 2008.
- ↑ Statehouse History: In Character with the Parthenon. Indiana Department of Administration
External links
Vorlage:Geolinks-US-streetscale
Indiana
Vorlage:US State Capitols
