by State Capitol number 15 is in the books with Indiana. Being one third of the way through our goal of visiting all the capitols in the U.S. puts the end so close that I can almost taste it. But Doug has reassured me that he has plenty of other quests for us to undertake!
The Indiana Statehouse is located in Indianapolis. It was built in 1888 after the previous building housing the state government was condemned in 1877 when its foundation began to fail! Condemned!
$2 million was approved for the project but – and I hope you’re sitting down for this – Governor Williams, who was known for his frugal ways, brought the final project in at only $1.8 million. There’s no surprise in the fact that a recent renovation, finished in 1995, cost multiple times the original, coming in at $11 million.
The interior was in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, and used Indiana materials wherever possible, such as oak and limestone.
The stained-glass dome is 72 feet in diameter and rises 105 feet above the floor, but it’s not actually exposed to the elements. Above it is a copper-clad dome and cupola, which takes the height of the statehouse to 235 feet.
I personally was pretty underwhelmed by the Indiana Statehouse, and in some rooms was surprised by how awful they were. But it’s Doug’s opinion on this topic that really matters, he was also underwhelmed. The comparative lack of ornamentation that we’ve seen in other capitols makes the building feel antiseptic, and the legislative chambers seemed to have been constructed in a decidedly workmanlike style.
