The Old State Capitol in Kentucky, also known as Old Statehouse, is the former capitol building of the Commonwealth of

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. The building is located in the Kentucky capital city of Frankfort and served as home of the

Kentucky General Assembly The Kentucky General Assembly, also called the Kentucky Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It comprises the Kentucky Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives. The General Assembly meets annually in th ...

from 1830 to 1910. The current

Kentucky State Capitol The Kentucky State Capitol is located in Frankfort, Kentucky, Frankfort and is the house of the three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) of the Politics of the United States, state government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwe ...

was built in 1910. The Old State Capitol has served as a museum and the home of the

Kentucky Historical Society The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) is an agency of the Kentucky state government that records and preserves important historical documents, buildings, and artifacts of Kentucky's past. It was originally established in 1836 as a private organiz ...

since 1920. It has been restored to its

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

era appearance and was designated a U.S.

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1971 for its exceptional Greek Revival architecture, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Kentucky legislature voted for its construction in 1827. The building was designed in the

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style by Gideon Shryock, an early Lexington, Kentucky architect. The Old State Capitol was his first building and he was only twenty-five years old. Shryock chose the Greek Revival style to symbolically link Kentucky, a young republic, with ancient Greece, the prototype of popular democratic government. He wanted the front of the building to duplicate the Temple of Minerva Polias at Priene. Greek temples had no windows, therefore the front of the capitol is devoid of fenestration. Other architectural features include a self-supporting stone stairway and a domed lantern above it to bring in sunlight. A bitterly contested 1899 state governor election came to a climax when Democratic claimant

William Goebel William Justus Goebel (January 4, 1856 – February 3, 1900) was an American Democratic politician who served as the 34th governor of Kentucky for four days, having been sworn in on his deathbed a day after being shot by an assassin. Goebel i ...

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers, across from Cincinnati to the north ...

was assassinated at the capitol on his way to be inaugurated. A plaque reading "William Goebel fell here, Jan. 30th, 1900" exists near the front entrance of the building.

References

*Kentucky Historical Society, ''Old State Capitol''

External links

Kentucky Historical Society page on the Old State Capitol
{{National Register of Historic Places Government buildings in Kentucky National Historic Landmarks in Kentucky

Museums in Franklin County, Kentucky History museums in Kentucky Greek Revival architecture in Kentucky Government buildings completed in 1837 Tourist attractions in Franklin County, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Frankfort, Kentucky 1837 establishments in Kentucky Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Kentucky Old Statehouse Historic District (Frankfort, Kentucky) Central Frankfort Historic District

See also

References

External links