Construction Indiana State House

map of statehouse statehouse guide book

a team of commissioners, including former civil war general , civil engineer thomas a. morris, planned , oversaw project. structure designed edwin may, indianapolis architect. not wanting repeat mistakes made in construction of previous statehouse, legislature required new capitol built on solid foundation, last many decades. construction began in 1880 , cornerstone laid on september 28. edwin may died in february of year, , adolph sherrer supervised project entire construction period. interior modeled in italian renaissance style. wherever possible, materials native indiana used. doors made of indiana oak, , indiana limestone used throughout structure. building s cornerstone ten-ton block of limestone quarried in spencer, indiana. central dome completed in 1883. building wired electricity, though indianapolis did not yet have electrical power grid. in 1887, new capitol sufficiently finished first legislative session held there. construction endured 8 years, , building completed in october 1888. pinnacle of building reaching 256 feet (78 m) high, second tallest building in state @ time of completion.

a hole bored in cornerstone, , time capsule placed inside containing forty-two items. items included annual reports government agencies, bible, samples of several varieties of crops grown in indiana, several new coins, local maps , newspapers, book on history of indianapolis, , pamphlets many of city s institutions.

the building designed in shape of cross. large central rotunda glass domed ceiling connects 4 wings. structure 4 stories high. first floor houses executive offices of administration. offices indiana house of representatives on second floor s east side, while indiana state senate on second floor s west side. offices of indiana supreme court on north end of second floor. seventy-thousand volume supreme court law library located on third floor. third floor holds house, senate, , supreme court chambers, , fourth floor holds indiana court of appeals courtroom , offices of 9 of fifteen judges on court. additional executive office , storage space. building constructed purpose of holding entire government of state. several decades government bureaus housed within building, until government again outgrew structure; of state s bureaus have gradually been moved out of building. in front of statehouse stands statue of oliver morton, governor of indiana during civil war.