Springfield wasn’t always the state capital.

Springfield only became Illinois’ third state capital in 1837.

The first capital was in Kaskaskia, which was founded in 1703. The first Capitol building was a two-story brick structure. All 29 state representatives occupied the first floor, while the 14 senators met on the second floor. The General Assembly wanted to build a newer Capitol and petitioned Congress for land. The state was granted a plot about eighty miles northeast of Kaskaskia, which became the city of Vandalia and the second capital city.  

The Vandalia Capitol building was first used on December 4, 1820. Twenty years later, responding to the will of the people, the General Assembly passed an act to allow voters to decide on the location of a new capital city. However, the results of the election were inconclusive, and it wasn’t until the 1836-37 session that the General Assembly made a decision.

It was our state’s most renowned leader, Abraham Lincoln, who introduced a bill to make Springfield the capital city. The first Capitol building in Springfield was ready for use by 1840.

Nearly 30 years later, the state government decided Illinois needed a larger, more modern Capitol building. It sold Springfield’s first Capitol building to Sangamon County, which used it as a courthouse until 1961, when it was repurchased by the state. The building was then totally reconstructed to restore it to its original state. If Abraham Lincoln walked into the Old State Capitol, he would feel right at home.

The current Capitol was built in the French Renaissance style using Illinois limestone. It is the tallest non-skyscraper Capitol building in the United States – even taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Learn more:
Learn more about the Capitol building
Take a trip to Springfield!