Old State Capitol. Photo by J.N.E. Prichard. KHS Collections.
Kentucky’s second capitol building burned in 1824, and a temporary building where the House was in session also burned the next year. On January 12, 1827, the General Assembly approved a bill to construct a third capitol, appropriating $20,000 in money and supplies. Commissioners appointed to oversee the project selected Gideon Shryock’s Greek Revival-style plan. The building was completed for a cost of approximately $85,000 in 1830, but the legislature first met there in December 1829 when the structure was still incomplete. This building served as the seat of government until the dedication of the “new” capitol in 1910. Today, it is known as the Old State Capitol and serves as a museum operated by the Kentucky Historical Society. House and Senate chambers and the State Law Library have been returned to their 1850s appearance.
Old State Capitol. Photo by J.N.E. Prichard. KHS Collections.
