Iowa Old Capitol Building
The Old Capitol Building in Iowa City is a Greek Revival landmark built in 1842. Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1840, and the design is credited to John F. Rague, with possible help from Father Samuel Mazzuchelli.
During the Iowa Territory, Iowa City was the territorial capital and the Old Capitol housed the last territorial legislatures until 1846, when Iowa became a state. The constitution was written there, the first governor was inaugurated, and the first six Iowa General Assemblies met in the building. Soon after statehood, the state approved creating its first public university, which became the University of Iowa.
In 1857 the state capital moved to Des Moines, and the Old Capitol became the university’s first permanent building. It served as a library, chapel, armory, and classrooms, and stood at the center of the campus’s Pentacrest, alongside Jessup Hall, MacBride Hall, MacLean Hall, and Schaeffer Hall.
The university renovated the building in the 1920s. From 1957 to the 1970s, it continued to function as classrooms and offices, with university presidents in its offices until the 1970s. In 1970 a major interior renovation began, led by Margaret Keyes, restoring much of the interior to its 1850s government-building appearance and turning it into a state history museum. The Old Capitol was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976 and reopened to the public that same year.
A 2001 fire, caused by contractors removing asbestos from the dome, damaged the cupola and the bell and destroyed the dome. The university settled a lawsuit over the incident. In 2003 a new wooden dome, weighing about 12,000 pounds and covered with gold leaf, was installed, and a new bell was added. The building reopened on May 6, 2006. Today, the ground floor houses a museum about the building, the university, and Iowa’s history. The Old Capitol continues to host meetings and events, and the university’s official logo features its dome.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 01:55 (CET).