Ohio State Capitol - elevated view   Save
Ohio Guide Photographs
Description: This photograph shows the west entrance to the Ohio Statehouse from a slight elevation. The McKinley Memorial can be seen in part, in the center foreground. The cornerstone was laid in 1839, and although the building was occupied by some State departments in 1857, it was not completed until 1861, 22 years after construction began. When Henry Walter of Cincinnati was appointed supervising architect in 1839, numerous plans for the building were considered and the one finally adopted was a composite. Both convict and private labor were used, and limestone was hauled from a quarry northwest of Columbus, purchased by the State to ensure enough material, on a railroad especially constructed for that purpose. Delays in securing State appropriations, a severe cholera epidemic, and labor difficulties slowed construction work, which at one time ceased for six years. Before the building was completed, five architects had served during the administrations of 12 governors. It is considered one of the country’s outstanding examples of the Greek Revival style and at the time, it was the second largest building, the largest being the United States Capitol building. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04B_006_1
Subjects: Capitol buildings; Memorials--Ohio; Capitol Square District (Columbus, Ohio); Governors--Ohio; Ohio. House of Representatives; Ohio. Senate; Walter, Henry; Sculpture, McKinley, William, 1843-1901
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)