Old State Capitol (Kentucky)

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The Old State Capitol, also called the Old Statehouse, is in Frankfort, Kentucky. It was the state’s capitol from 1830 to 1910, before the current Kentucky State Capitol was built in 1910. Since 1920 it has been a museum and the home of the Kentucky Historical Society, and it’s restored to look like it did during the Civil War.

The building was designed in Greek Revival style by Gideon Shryock, who was 25 when he designed his first building. The front resembles the Temple of Minerva Polias at Priene and has no windows on the front. A self-supporting stone staircase leads to a domed lantern that brings in light.

A famous event happened here: in 1900, Governor William Goebel was assassinated at the capitol on his way to being inaugurated after the 1899 election. A plaque near the front entrance reads “William Goebel fell here, Jan. 30th, 1900.”

The Old State Capitol is a National Historic Landmark for its Greek Revival architecture (designated in 1971) and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.