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Iowa State Capitol

Architect
John C. Cochrane
Year
1886
Style
Neoclassical
City
Des Moines, IA
Collection
neoclassical
Iowa State Capitol
Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
See it on the map

The Iowa State Capitol, commonly called the Iowa Statehouse, was built between 1871 and 1886 and designed by John C. Cochrane. It sits atop a hill at East 9th Street and Grand Avenue in Des Moines, offering a panoramic view of the downtown and West Capitol Terrace. It houses the Iowa General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, and the state's other constitutional offices, and it is the only five-domed capitol in the country.

the building

Five domes. The Capitol is the only state capitol in the country with five domes, a distinguishing feature that sets it apart among American statehouses.

Hilltop site. Set atop a hill, the building commands a panoramic view of downtown Des Moines and the West Capitol Terrace, with monuments including the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil War Monument and the Lincoln and Tad statue arrayed around it.

Multiple state offices. Beyond the legislative chambers of the Iowa Senate and House of Representatives, the building holds the Office of the Governor and the Offices of the Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State, along with a chamber for the Iowa Supreme Court.

the style

The Capitol's style draws on Neoclassical and Renaissance Revival architecture, a vocabulary of grand civic monumentality suited to a seat of state government.

More on Neoclassical

the architect

John C. Cochrane designed the Iowa State Capitol, one of his documented architectural works, completed after fifteen years of construction between 1871 and 1886.

significance

The Capitol is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has served as the seat of Iowa's government since its completion in 1886, housing the General Assembly, the Governor's office, and the state's other constitutional offices.

nearby

All 27 buildings in Des Moines