Old State Capitol
Building in Springfield, Illinois. Built 1837 by John F. Rague. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
The Old State Capitol State Historic Site is a former capitol building for the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in Springfield, it is one of two preserved former Illinois capitol buildings. It was built in the Greek Revival style in 1837–1840, when Springfield became the capital city, and served as the state house from 1840 to 1876, when it was replaced by the current capitol. It is the site of candidacy announcements by Abraham Lincoln in 1858 and Barack Obama in 2007. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, primarily for its association with Lincoln and his political rival Stephen Douglas.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Building |
| Address | Bounded by 5th, 6th, Adams, and Washington Sts., Springfield, IL |
| County | Sangamon County |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Politics and government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | Sangamon County Courthouse |
| Reference number | 66000331 |
| Built | 1837 · more from the 1830s |
| Architect | John F. Rague |
| Type of place | museum, historic site, capitol building |
| Style | Greek Revival architecture |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 building |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Bounded by 5th, 6th, Adams, and Washington Sts., Springfield, IL |
| Website | dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/central/old-capitol.html ↗ |
| Coordinates | 39.8011° N, 89.6486° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Springfield | 52 listed places in Springfield → · walking tour → |
| Nearest national park unit | Lincoln Home National Historic Site · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Sangamon County
Local history books for Springfield
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Illinois
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was Old State Capitol listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
When was Old State Capitol built?
1837, designed by John F. Rague, in the Greek Revival architecture style.
Source: Wikidata
Can I visit Old State Capitol?
Yes. Old State Capitol is recorded as open to the public, and hours are on the official website.
Source: Official website
Where is Old State Capitol?
Bounded by 5th, 6th, Adams, and Washington Sts., Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois. The nearest national park unit is Lincoln Home National Historic Site, under a mile away.
Where is the nomination form for Old State Capitol?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Is there cell service at Old State Capitol?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000331. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.