Old State Capitol Burning, 1897

A fire started in Harrisburg's original State Capitol building on the afternoon of February 2, 1897. Pictured here are people who braved blizzard conditions to watch Harrisburg architect Stephen Hill's design burn down. In use since its completion in 1822, the building's remains were razed to make room for new construction. The State Legislature used nearby Grace Methodist Episcopal Church as temporary quarters. In 1898 the Legislature moved in to a new building that was designed by Henry Ives Cobb and hastily built in response to pressure to move the Capitol back to Philadelphia or to Pittsburgh. Before Cobb's design was ever fully constructed, the General Assembly appropriated additional monies for a grander building and a new design. Architect Joseph Miller Huston's building, known today, was dedicated in 1906. Photo ID: .

For more information visit the Pennsylvania Capitol Preservation Committee's website:
http://cpc.state.pa.us/cpcweb/hist_timeline.jsp Photo ID: J00466.