Corydon Capitol – Corydon, Indiana - Atlas Obscura
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Corydon Capitol

Corydon, Indiana

In Indiana's first capital city of Corydon, the original State Capitol still stands among other historic buildings. 

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The First Indiana State Capitol thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
The First Indiana State Capitol thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
First State Capital Historical Marker thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
Beginnings of the State Explainer thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
Corydon Capital State Historical Site Sign thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
William Henry Harrison's Log Cabin Plaque thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
The Polly Strong Slavery Case Marker thomasharper (Atlas Obscura User)
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The capital of Indiana Territory was moved from Vincennes to Corydon on May 1, 1813. When the territory became a state three years later, the Harrison County Courthouse would serve as its capitol building, now celebrated as Indiana’s first.

After the Illinois Territory was split from the Indiana Territory, opponents of former territorial governor and future President of the United States William Henry Harrison sought to move the territorial capital away from his political power base in Vincennes. The still-under-construction Harrison County Courthouse would be converted into the state capitol. Upon becoming the State of Indiana in 1816, the former courthouse became the first state capitol, just before construction was completed.

The first state capitol still stands among other structures from Corydon’s time as the state capital city, such as the Governor’s House and President Harrison’s log cabin. Guided tours of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site and other early statehood buildings are offered by a branch of the Indiana State Museum to show the state’s early history.

Know Before You Go

Guided tours of the capitol and other early statehood buildings are available through the Indiana Museum's web site. $8 per adult.

buildings politics history
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