By Mason Clarke
Miniature 19th-century lawmakers ran around the Old Capitol on Sunday in the form of young children sporting homemade top hats touring the facility with their families.
The occasion was a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Old Capitol becoming a museum and national historic landmark.
“It’s bringing the community together … [and] it’s making Iowa history accessible,” said Kathrine Moermond, the program and outreach coordinator for the Old Capitol Museum. “When I was a kid … I always loved being able to walk through these places and see what happened in these places.”
The celebration had a number of documents and photographs on display, spanning a variety of memorable moments at the Old Capitol over the last 40 years.
The building served as the Iowa’s Territorial and State Capitol until 1857. At that point, Des Moines became the capital, and the Old Capitol became the founding building for the University of Iowa.
Until 1970, university administration offices were in the Old Capitol, and over time, the building has been home to a number of things, including the law library and the College of Education.
Moermond said that after several years without administrative offices and without recognized historic value, the Old Capitol officially became both a museum and a historic national landmark on July 3, 1976.
During Sunday’s event, community members were offered the chance to learn about the history and engage in activities. For one staffer, getting the kids involved was especially important.
“I think it’s pretty great to see how engaged these kids are with these historical activities,” said Laura Kerr, a student staffer at the Pentacrest Museums. “It’s great to get them involved with museums at a young age, too.”
There was a station set up for visitors to sit down and take a crack at writing with a quill pen and bottles of ink, and in another room, there was a green screen for people to pose in front of so they could be super-imposed onto a picture of the Old Capitol. There was also a giant cake in the shape of the Old Capitol’s dome.
“We love the fact that this is going on during JazzFest, when there’s a lot of community events going on right outside our front door,” said Trina Roberts, the director of the Pentacrest Museums. “We’re glad to be able to celebrate this anniversary for the community.”
She had a positive experience in the event, she said, as much as the visitors and the community did. Aside from getting to see the families and children soaking it all in, she had the opportunity to speak with people who knew a thing or two about the history.
“I talked to a gentleman who … [was] the person who cleaned all the crystals on the chandeliers in the House chamber when it was there,” Roberts said. “I’ve gotten a chance to talk to people who have been involved in the building … it’s always nice to see people come back.”
