Old State House - Little Rock, AR
N 34° 44.916 W 092° 16.373
15S E 566553 N 3845405
The State House served as the Arkansas State Capitol from it completion in 1842 until 1911.
Waymark Code: WMEYP
Location: Arkansas, United States
Date Posted: 06/15/2006
Views: 34
The Old State House Museum is the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. Construction on the building began in 1833 and was declared complete in 1842. The building was commissioned by Territorial Governor John Pope, who chose Kentucky architect Gideon Shryock (who had previously designed the Kentucky state capitol building) to create plans for the Arkansas capitol. Shryock chose the Greek Revival style, then a popular design for public buildings, for Arkansas's new capitol. The original plans were grand and too expensive for the young territory's finances and the plans were changed by George Weigart, Shryock's assistant, who oversaw construction at the Little Rock site.
In 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state; it was admitted along with Michigan under the provisions of the Missouri Compromise. The compromise mandated that a slave state and free state be admitted to the Union simultaneously so that neither side gained a majority in the federal legislature.
When Arkansas became a state, government officials moved into the new building, despite ongoing construction. In fact, Arkansas legislators threatened workers with bodily harm because of construction noise during the session. The State House served as the state capitol until 1911, when construction was completed on a new building.
In recent year the Old State House is best known as the scene of President Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 election-night celebrations. Today the Old State House preserves the History of Arkansas and is open to the public as a museum.
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