Springfield, OH

Guess whose statue is prominently displayed directly in front of the Illinois State Capitol? 

It was built in 1888 and at 361 feet is the tallest non-skyscraper U.S. capitol³, even exceeding the height of the U.S. Capitol. It was built in the Renaissance Revival style giving it a sumptuous and European feel. According to our guide Joel (excellent btw) this was done on purpose. In the late 1800s, Illinois was becoming the crossroads of the U.S. via its extensive rail network and canals that linked the Great Lakes to the Mississippi. And therefore lawmakers were keen on connecting with European trade partners.    

Almost every state capitol displays a painting of every former governor, not this one though, as there is an empty space where the one of the 40th governor should be. Apparently, there is a law that prevents public funding of a portrait of the Honorable Rod Blagojevich who was impeached, removed from office, and convicted of 18 counts of wire fraud, bribery, attempted extortion, conspiracy, and lying to the FBI. The law does allow private funding, which could enable his pardoner and fellow impeachee to commission one. 

The Ohio Statehouse grounds contain a number of statues . . . but not too many as to clog it all up. Those of note are:

1. Christopher Colombus: The base is made of pink granite that is too large and too pink. I can't speak to the pinkness, but the size of the base may have something to do with making access to the statue difficult for vandals. Either way, you may want to visit it before it is replaced.

2. The Spirit of '98: I had previously blogged about two sculptures called The Hiker. One of which is the most casted sculpture ever publically displayed. They were both sculpted to honor veterans who served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, and the Boxer Rebellion, with at least 72 castings displayed throughout the U.S. Well, I guess Ohio didn't want to buy one of these duplicates to honor its veterans, so it commissioned its own.  

3. The William McKinley Monument: It is prominently located directly in front of the main entrance to the statehouse and when I saw it was a bit of a headscratcher. I mean I get it that he was President, but is that really the best that a state that gave us Grant, Sharman, and Taft can do? Well, I think this can be explained by the fact it was erected in 1902 immediately after McKi9nnly was assassinated in 1901. And once erected, that's pretty much it.

4. These Are My Jewels: This a monument that features life-size bronze statues of seven famous Ohioans, which could also make for an educational game of "Who am I?"

Endnotes:

¹ Ohio calls the building that houses their General Assembly, the Ohio Statehouse. Other states call the building that houses their general assembly the State Capitol.   

² For those og you that are not a fan of The War of 1812, the painting The Battle of Lake Eire, depict Admiral