Columbus Historical Society (Columbus, Ohio)

The original Ohio Statehouse was erected between 1800 and 1803 in Chillicothe, Ohio. It was the first stone public building in Ohio and was constructed in the Georgian Colonial style. Its inspiration was most likely the Governor’s Palace in Williamsburg, Virginia. The first legislature met in this building in 1803 and continued until 1810, when Zanesville became the capital city. In 1812, the capital was again moved to Chillicothe, where it remained until 1816. The Statehouse in Zanesville held the Ohio legislature from 1810-1812. The building closely resembled the capitol building at Chillicothe, but was built in the Federal style. In 1812 the capital was temporarily moved back to Chillicothe where it remained until December 1816. On February 14, 1812, an act was passed which established the permanent seat of government on the east bank of the Scioto River opposite Franklinton. This established Columbus as the capital city until 1840. In 1814 the first Columbus capitol building was constructed and the first session of the Ohio General Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, commenced in December of 1816. The building was 75 feet north to south and 50 feet east to west. It had a hipped roof with a two-stage cupola and spire, extending 106 feet above ground. The first floor consisted of two committee rooms and a gallery for the House of Representatives. The second floor housed the Senate chamber and two committee rooms. In 1834 Governor Robert Lucas urged for the construction of a new Statehouse. In 1838 the General Assembly passed an act to create a three-member commission to conduct a contest to find the best design for the new Statehouse. The Greek Revival design of Henry Walter of Cincinnati won first prize, second went to Martin E. Thompson and third went to landscape artist Thomas Cole. The current Statehouse most closely resembles Cole’s design. Four Ohio citizens donated the ten-acre piece of land that was known as Public Square (now Capitol Square), where the new capitol was to be located; and on July 4, 1839, the cornerstone was laid. In 1840 the construction was stopped when the legislature repealed the Statehouse Law and ordered the covering of the foundation with earth; construction resumed in 1846. The original Columbus Statehouse of 1814 burnt to the ground on February 1, 1852, helping to facilitate the continuing work on the new Statehouse. Although it was far from complete, the General Assembly occupied it on January 5, 1857, and it was finally completed in 1861. Changes were made to Walter’s original plans. The dome that was designed originally was thought to be too expensive, too ornate, and too small for such a massive structure and was replaced by a conical roof cupola. The colonnade that was originally planned around the dome was also deleted. Upon its completion, the Statehouse was 504 feet north to south, 184 feet east to west and 158 feet from ground to dome. Its north façade faces East Broad Street, south faces East State Street, east faces Third Street and the west façade faces South High Street. Prisoner labor was responsible for much of the work done on the Statehouse. Many of the prisoners were already trained as stone cutters because they had just finished work on the Ohio Penitentiary. Additional projects have been undertaken since the completion of the Statehouse in 1861; in 1901 the annex was completed on the east side of the building, in 1906 Alice Roosevelt Longworth unveiled the McKinley Monument, and in 1965 an underground parking structure opened. In October of 1989 the Capitol Square renovation Master Plan was released. By this time the building had fallen into severe disrepair and did not conform to 20th century building codes. Many of the changes made to the building had destroyed its historic and artistic integrity. By March 1993, the restoration of the Senate building and Atrium was completed and the Statehouse itself became the major focus of work. In 1996 the entire restoration was complete. The Statehouse complex represents one of America's finest examples of Greek Revival in public architecture, and is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States.

From the guide to the Ohio Statehouse Collection, 1801-2000, (Ohio Historical Society)

...