The arrangement did not last long. It was removed by the end of 1885. During the early years the Statehouse was home to the Illinois State Museum and the Illinois Supreme Court. Included in the bounty of photos are glimpses of those enterprises and never-before-published images of the 1932 major dome restoration, Tents of the Illinois National Guard called in to deal with the infamous race riots of 1908 add a sobering perspective on the history of the city as well. Extensive restorations of the interior as recently as 2006 bring the story up to date.

The Illinois Statehouse brings to everyone the tightly focused history of a single significant building. Concisely written by authors who know the turf, it is the story of one finger on a hand. Given the evolution of the adjacent facilities, all coming to surround it like a boat built around an anchor, the book will likely inspire as many questions about the rest of the buildings in the capitol complex as it answers about the main ingredient. In the meantime, the book is a foundation, a touchstone sure to inspire more research and publications. It is well produced, well written and a delight to read.

Job Conger is a freelance writer/photographer and poet/songwriter. He is the author of three books of his poetry, a biography of Vachel Lindsay, self published, and Springfield Aviation from Arcadia Publishing.