Ohio Statehouse

When the state government moved to the new city of Columbus in 1816, it occupied a small, two story building on the corner of High and State Streets. The building had chambers for House and Senate as well as offices for other government functions. Very quickly the growth and expansion of the government made the building overcrowded, and though the crowding was relieved in some ways by the construction of additional small buildings near the original Statehouse, it was soon apparent that a larger, more aesthetically appealing facility was required. In 1838 the state government announced a competition to select the design for a new Statehouse. The idea of a completion to select the design of a public building was not unusual, such structures as the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C, and other state capitols such as that in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania having been the result of similar contests. From a field of about fifty entries, three winners were selected: first prize going to Henry Walter of Cincinnati, second to Martin Thompson of New York and third to painter Thomas Cole also of New York. Although these finalists were selected, the organizing commission that made these decision was unable to choose one of the winning designs to begin building. When the cornerstone was laid on July 4th, 1839, a final design had not been arrived at. Consultation with Philadelphia architect A.J. Davis resulted in a composite design merging features of the three winners, but it was thought too expensive, and when Henry Walter, the first place winner of the design contest, was chosen to supervise construction he was set to work on a composite design that owed most of its inspiration to third place winner Thomas Cole. Work on the buildings foundation and lower level would continue until for only a short time, when the Statehouse project would encounter the first of many difficulties and set backs. The legislation that officially made Columbus the state’s capitol city expired, and while different factions within the government wrestled with the notion of moving the capitol to another city or letting it remain in Columbus, the physical building that had been started was ignored. The open excavations were filled in with earth and the Capitol square was used as pasture land for livestock. It would be a number of years before work would begin again in earnest. William Russell West and J.O. sawyer of Cincinnati were appointed architects and general supervisors of the project in February of 1848, and in May of that year the long delayed project was resumed. Steady progress would be made until another major setback would affect the Statehouse. Columbus was gripped by a cholera epidemic and which prompted great panic in the city and wide spread flight to the more healthful country. Once the epidemic subsided, work was able to proceed, and would fall into a regular pattern. During the inclement weather of the winter, work would cease, to be resumed vigorously during the rest of the year. Fire would consume the original brick Statehouse in 1852, which would provide added impetus to complete the new and larger Statehouse. A Columbus resident, Nathan B.Kelley would become architect and supervisor of the work in 1854, and with much of the exterior complete would oversee the design and construction of the building’s interiors. The legislature would meet for the first time in the building in January of 1857, with most of the building completed, with the notable exception of the rotunda. Although actual work on the building was proceeding smoothly and rapidly, government officials were deeply dissatisfied with the work of architect Kelley, citing problems with his working methods and aesthetic choices. A Cincinnati architect with a national reputation, Isaiah Rogers, would be the final principal architect of the Statehouse construction, over seeing the completion of the interior and the work on the rotunda and its enclosing cupola. Work on the buildings, its grounds and landscaping would be virtually complete in 1861. As the role and function of State government changed -and expanded- changes and expansions would take place at the Ohio Statehouse. Originally the building had 54 rooms and was the central location for all aspects of state government. As more offices and work rooms were required, large spaces would be subdivided in to smaller areas, and infill construction would swallow up large areas of the building. The most prominent example of this was the filling in of the four open courts that occupied areas on the interior of the building. These open areas went from top to bottom of the structure and were intended to admit light and fresh area to the inner reaches of the building. The advent of electric light coupled with the need for space meant that many levels of offices would come to occupy these large open areas. The crowding of the building can be judged simply from the number of rooms that would fill the Statehouse in 1989. An astonishing 317 individual rooms were contained in the building at that time. Although meant to house every aspect of government, that government eventually did out grow the confines of the building. To alleviate that crowding, and also give the body the prestige of its own building, the Supreme Court was relocated to a separate building on the East side of Capitol Square in 1901. The new building was constructed of the same Columbus limestone as the Statehouse, though worked in a more elaborate style. The interior was like wise more grand and elaborate, reflective of the prosperous economy and political influence that the state had at the time. The building was the work of Cincinnati architect Samuel Hanaford, and was completed in two years at the cost of $375,000. By comparison, the Statehouse itself took 22 years from start to finish and cost approximately 1.3 million dollars. The passage of time would see the expected crowding of these two government buildings, as well as there decay from poor maintenance and heavy usage. Though there had been proposals made at various times to either demolish one or both buildings, or substantially remodel them, they survived these ideas of urban renewal. In 1989 a massive renovation and restoration project would return the buildings to the splendor their original builders envisioned as well as make them useful and practical government buildings for today and into the future. The restoration project would also see the addition of a third building to capitol square. The idea of joining the old Statehouse with the Judiciary Annex was proposed soon after the newer buildings completion, but the execution of that idea would wait until 1993. The Atrium is a large, open space that provides area for government functions and ceremonies as well as different meetings and events. Constructed of the same limestone as the two adjoining buildings, it is subtly different but blends as part of a harmonious unit.