INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WPTA) – On September 15, 1835, construction wrapped up on Indiana’s first statehouse, a milestone that marked the state’s growing presence in the Midwest during its early years of statehood.
The two-story structure, built of brick, wood, and stucco, cost about $60,000 to complete — equal to more than $2.1 million in today’s dollars. The building featured classical elements such as columns and a wooden dome, echoing the architectural ambitions of a young state eager to project stability and authority.
At the time of its completion, Indiana had only been a state for 19 years, and Indianapolis had been designated the state capital just 15 years earlier. The new statehouse symbolized Indiana’s move from a frontier region into a more established government hub.
Despite its symbolic importance, the building quickly proved insufficient. Just 30 years after its completion, the statehouse was overcrowded and beginning to deteriorate. The demands of a growing population and government soon made it obsolete.
By 1888, Indiana replaced the original structure with the current statehouse, a grand limestone building that continues to serve as the home of the governor’s office, the Senate and House of Representatives chambers, and the Indiana Supreme Court.
In 1988, the state invested $11 million in a major restoration effort to return the current statehouse’s interior to the 1888 atmosphere, bringing back many of the architectural details that connected it to the spirit of the first statehouse.
The project not only preserved the building’s history but also underscored Indiana’s commitment to honoring its political and architectural heritage. Today, visitors walking through its halls experience both a functioning seat of government and a living piece of history.
While the original 1835 building no longer stands, its completion remains a significant moment in Indiana’s story. It reflected the ambition of a young state to establish a permanent capital and to create a government space worthy of its citizens.
The evolution from the first modest structure to the current grand statehouse mirrors Indiana’s growth from a frontier settlement to a modern state, still anchored in the traditions that began nearly two centuries ago.
Originally reported by Rosalie Marilly in 21 Alive News.
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