1837. Old State Capitol (built 1837) Located in Springfield, On July 4, 1837, the first brick was laid for Illinois' fifth capitol designed by John F. Rague, who also designed the nearly identical Iowa Territorial Capitol. In 1853, the capitol was completed for a total sum of $260,000, almost twenty times the cost of any such previous structure. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style from stone quarried 6 miles from the site. For many years, it was the largest and most extravagant capitol of the western frontier of the United States. The fifth capitol is closely associated with Abraham Lincoln as it was here that he argued cases before the Illinois Supreme Court, served in the State Legislature, first debated Stephen Douglas, delivered his famous "House Divided" speech, and lay in state after his assassination on April 14, 1865. As Illinois prospered and experienced several booms in population, the fifth capitol became crowded, especially as a result of relocations after the Civil War. On February 24, 1867, the state voted to construct a new larger capitol. After breaking the ground for the sixth and current Capitol in 1868, the state recouped the costs of the fifth capitol by selling it to Sangamon County for $200,000. It served as the county court house until 1961 when the state re-purchased the building and restored it as a historic landmark, the Old State Capitol State Historic Site. See also List of state and territorial capitols in the United States List of tallest domes References External links Government buildings completed in 1839 Government buildings completed in 1888 State Capitol State capitols in the United States Government buildings with domes Government buildings in Illinois National Historic Landmarks in Illinois Buildings and structures in Springfield, Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Springfield, Illinois Tourist attractions in Springfield, Illinois Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Skyscrapers in Illinois Skyscraper office buildings in Illinois 1839 establishments in Illinois 1888 establishments in Illinois