The Old State Capitol will be closed to the public for up to a year while work continues on a $17 million renovation effort.
After the first phase, focusing on the “drum” that supports the Old Capitol dome, work is now underway on a $15 million second “preservation” phase that includes repairing the structure’s roof, replacing wood flooring, and updating restrooms, elevators, plumbing, and the fire alarm system. Asbestos abatement work will also be done.
The building served as Illinois’s state capitol from 1840 to 1876 and was the scene of Abraham Lincoln’s famous “House Divided” speech.
It’s also the subject of a new documentary about a major renovation project there in the 1960s that was screened in Springfield this week.
