Improvements To Indiana's Original Capitol Approved

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana State Budget Committee approved the release of nearly $1.1 million Thursday to be used for repairs and updates to the state’s original capitol and related buildings.

The town square in Corydon – called Capitol Square – includes the state’s first capitol building, the first State Office Building, and the Frank O’Bannon Memorial, and will now undergo several structural and safety-related upgrades in the coming months.

The first capitol building and the surrounding structures are said to have “significant failures in the infrastructure,” according to the State Budget Committee agenda.

The repairs include an upgrade to the former capitol building’s electrical systems and supply, the replacement of certain sidewalks and walkways to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the addition of a new drainage system around the capitol building.

The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites – which oversees the old capitol – will use $177,580 of its own funds on the project, while $621,420 will come from the state’s general fund and the remaining $300,000 from the Harrison County Community Foundation.

Corydon was home to the Indiana capitol until 1825, when state government was relocated to Indianapolis, and its capitol building hasn’t been updated since the 1940s.

Jacob Rund is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.