The Old State House, formerly called the Arkansas State House, is the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. It was the site of the
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
convention, as well as the fourth constitutional convention when
delegate
Delegate or delegates may refer to:
* Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia
* Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique
* Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations
* Delegate (Unit ...
s agreed to ensure voting rights for
freedmen
A freedman or freedwoman is a formerly enslaved person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, enslaved people were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their captor-owners), abolitionism, emancipation (gra ...
and establish public education.
History
Construction
Commissioned by Governor
John Pope, the State House was constructed between 1833 and 1842. Architect
Gideon Shryock
Gideon Shryock (November 15, 1802 – June 19, 1880) was Kentucky's first professional architect in the Greek Revival Style. His name has frequently been misspelled as Gideon Shyrock.
Biography
Shryock was born in Lexington, Kentucky on Novembe ...
, who previously designed the
Kentucky State Capitol
The Kentucky State Capitol is located in Frankfort and is the house of the three branches (executive, legislative, judicial) of the state government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic P ...
in
Frankfort, chose a
Greek Revival
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...
style for the building. The original design was too expensive for the
territory
A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal.
In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...
, so Shryock's assistant George Weigart changed the plans and oversaw construction. The
Arkansas General Assembly
The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...
moved into the building while construction was ongoing. On December 4, 1837, in the first session of the General Assembly, Speaker John Wilson killed Representative Joseph J. Anthony in a knife fight on the floor of the state House of Representatives.
American Civil War
Unionists prevailed at an initial, March 1861,
secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
convention after the 1860 election of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
. However, after
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
fired on
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...
and Lincoln called up troops, on the morning of May 6, 1861, a second secession convention assembled at the State House. After intense debate, an
ordinance of secession
An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the Civil War, by which each seceding Southern state or territory formally declared secession from the United ...
passed with five opposing votes. Four opposing delegates relented after unanimity was urged.
Isaac Murphy
Isaac Murphy (October 16, 1799 or 1802 – September 8, 1882)Every Arkansas reference says that he was born in 1799; most other sources, including genealogical studies, say he was born in 1802. was a native of Pennsylvania, a teacher and la ...
, a delegate from
Madison County, held out despite enormous pressure. After the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
victory at the
Battle of Bayou Fourche
The Battle of Bayou Fourche, also known as the Battle of Little Rock and the Engagement at Bayou Fourche, took place on September 10, 1863, in Pulaski County, Arkansas, and was the final battle of the Little Rock campaign, Little Rock Campaign, ...
in September 1863,
Federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
troops occupied the building for the rest of the war.
Reconstruction Era
After the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
ended, the State House was the site of another constitutional convention to determine whether Arkansas would accept the
Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Often considered as one of the most consequential amendments, it addresses citizenship rights and e ...
, permit suffrage for black males over 21, and create public schools for both black and white children. After contentious debate, the proposals were approved in a new constitution that emerged in February 1868, and was ratified in March. Also during
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
, the State House was an object of contention in the so-called
Brooks–Baxter War
The Brooks–Baxter War, also known as the Brooks–Baxter Affair, was an attempt made by failed gubernatorial candidate Joseph Brooks (politician), Joseph Brooks of the “Brindle-tail” faction of Arkansas' Republican Party of Arkansas, Rep ...
, and was fortified during that struggle. The cannon "Lady Baxter" still remains on the State House grounds. As part of the Arkansas exhibit for the
1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, a three-tiered fountain sat in front of the States exhibit building. The following year in 1877 the fountain was placed on the state house grounds. A recast of the original fountain now sits in its place. In 1885, an iron statue of
the three graces, representing Law, Justice and Mercy, was placed atop of the State House, however it was removed in 1928.
Changing use
The building served as a state capitol until the
new capitol building was constructed in 1912. For a time it was used as a medical school. Afterwards, it served as an Arkansas war memorial and was used as an office building for federal and state agencies, as well as a meeting place for patriotic organizations. In 1947 the General Assembly approved acts designating the State House as a museum. The front entrance was the site of
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's presidential campaign announcement on October 3, 1991 and the site of his election night celebrations in both of his campaigns for the presidency on November 3, 1992 and November 5, 1996, respectively.
The building underwent major renovation in 1996, and it was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1997.
[ and ] The building continues to serve as a museum with exhibits related to Arkansas history and culture. Permanent collections include
battle flags, the inaugural gowns of the
First Ladies
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the t ...
of Arkansas, art pottery, and
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
quilts. Special exhibits are staged periodically as well.
Interior
Floor plans
See also
*
David O. Dodd Memorial
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas
The National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas represent Arkansas's history from the Louisiana Purchase through the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. It contains the landmarks designated by the U.S. Federal Government for the U.S. state of Ar ...
*
List of the oldest buildings in Arkansas
This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Arkansas, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Arkansas. Only buildings built prior to 1840 are suitable for inclusion on this list, ...
*
MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
*
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1833 establishments in Arkansas Territory
American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places
Arkansas in the American Civil War
Brooks–Baxter War
Buildings and structures on the Arkansas River
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
Government buildings completed in 1842
Government buildings in Little Rock, Arkansas
Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Arkansas
Greek Revival architecture in Little Rock, Arkansas
Historic American Buildings Survey in Arkansas
History museums in Arkansas
Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums
Museums in Little Rock, Arkansas
National Historic Landmarks in Arkansas
National Register of Historic Places in Little Rock, Arkansas
Terminating vistas in the United States