The Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield is closed to visitors through April while it undergoes repairs and renovation work.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources administers the historic site, which served as Illinois' statehouse from 1840 to 1876. Abraham Lincoln served in the Legislature there and in 1858 gave his famed “House Divided” speech in the Hall of Representatives.
The work on the building will include installing a new roof on the drum that supports the Capitol dome and restoring the drum's columns and windows. The interior and exterior of the drum will be painted and plaster will be repaired on interior ceilings and walls.
After the current statehouse was completed, the Old State Capitol served as the Sangamon County Courthouse for nearly a century. A massive restoration project in the late 1960s restored it to its original state.
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The Illinois Capital Development Board is managing the $1.45 million repair and renovation contract let to R.D. Lawrence Construction Co. of Springfield.
