When the Ohio statehouse was dedicated in 1861, it consisted of 53 rooms where state lawmakers and executive branch officials and their staff worked.
By the time the Greek revival structure underwent its last renovation 25 years ago, there were 317 rooms and 93 separate air conditioning systems to manage in the redesign.
Prior to the renovation, the statehouse featured layers of flooring, tacky plywood paneling, hallways to nowhere and state lawmaker offices the size of closets. Also, proper exits were missing and it was the definition of inaccessible to people with disabilities.
The seven-year renovation changed almost everything, but the original spirit of the structure.
We hear about the process, the obstacles, the funding challenges and more on the 25 anniversary of the statehouse renovation.
Guests:
- Gov. Dick Celeste, former Governor of Ohio from 1983 - 1991
- Bob Loversidge, principal design architect at Schooley Caldwell
- Sen. Dick Finan, former President Ohio Senate from 1996 - 2002 and chair of the Capitol Advisory Board
- Charles Moses, chairman of the Capitol Square Foundation
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