Arkansas State Capitol

The Old State House was commissioned by Territorial Governor John Pope and was constructed between 1833 and 1842. Architect Gideon Shryock, who had previously designed the Kentucky state capitol, chose a Greek Revival style for the building. The original design was too expensive for the fledgling territory, so Shyrock's assistant George Weigart changed the plans and oversaw construction.

The Arkansas legislature moved into the building while construction was ongoing. In 1837 a fatal knife fight between legislators occurred in the legislative chamber.

During the American Civil War the building was used by Union troops occupying Little Rock. During reconstruction the building became the central focal point of the Brooks-Baxter War and the building was turned into a fortification during that struggle. The "Lady Baxter" cannon still remains on the grounds.

The building was used as the official state capitol until the new capitol building was constructed in 1912. For a time the building served as a medical school.

The Old State House was renamed as the 'Arkansas War Memorial' and was used as an office building for federal and state agencies as well as a meeting place for patriotic organizations.

In 1947 the state legislature passed acts making the Old State House into a museum. The museum front entrance was the site of President Bill Clinton's presidential campaign announcement and the site of his election night celebrations in both of his runs for the White House. The building underwent major renovation in 1996.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

The building continues to serve as a museum with exhibits related to Arkansas history and culture. Permanent collections include Civil War battle flags, the inaugural gowns of governors' wives, Arkansas art pottery, and African-American quilts.

On December 18, 1938, the Capitol's dome and central pediment first came ablaze with the light of 1,000 red and blue electric bulbs. Just above the Capitol Avenue steps, Hall placed a 25-foot evergreen on a turntable, its branches painted silver and illuminated by blue lights. That same year, Hall hosted a Christmas party for disabled and ill children from the nearby Arkansas Children's Home and Hospital. As Santa looked on, Hall helped distribute toys and games and other gifts donated by state employees.

Response was swift and overwhelmingly positive.With public opinion behind him, Hall continued to decorate the Capitol for the Christmas season during his 24 years in office. In 1939, the Capitol's lights and fir tree (placed just in front of the bronze doors) were lit on the evening of December 11. In 1940, a cedar tree was decorated on the east lawn, and one year later, a papier-mache Nativity scene was set up on the east plaza. It was the first incarnation of what would become ever more elaborate displays in years to come.

During the years of World War II, decorations were scaled back due to wartime restrictions. The Capitol's holiday exterior remained dark until December 1945 when the elaborate displays returned. As the years passed, more lights were added. For the 1938 display, about 1,000 lamps burned on the Capitol dome; by 1946, the figure grew to over 4,000. In post-war years, the tradition evolved into the Capitol's lighting ceremony serving as the finale to the Little Rock Christmas parade. The celebration's fame even spread nationwide in 1954 when NBC broadcast “Christmas in Arkansas” on 806 affiliated radio stations.

Public support for the festivities has continued well beyond Hall's death in 1961, and his successors have sustained the Capitol's decorating tradition, which has evolved along with changing trends and materials. A hand-carved catalpa wood Nativity scene replaced rubber composite figures, and the lighting configuration has been modified from year-to-year. Many-colored bulbs have given way to brilliant white, with a flashing “disco dome” making a brief appearance in 1987. By the mid-1990s, the privately funded Nativity scene moved from the Capitol's east steps to a peaceful setting on the building's North Mall. Local businessman Jennings Osborne — famous for the lighting displays at his Little Rock home, Disney World and Graceland — provided hundreds of thousands of lights from 1995 to 2002.

Current displays hearken back to more understated displays, reflecting the stately elegance of the Capitol itself. Ever changing but remaining familiar, the holiday celebration at the Capitol continues to be a beloved gift to the people of Arkansas.

Source: Secretary of State Office