Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites

In June of 1816, 43 delegates met in Corydon to draft the first state constitution. Much of their work was done under the shade of a large elm tree. The trunk of the tree, now known as “Constitution Elm,” is still standing. The first state election was on Aug. 5, 1816, in which Jonathan Jennings was elected governor.

In November 1816, the first General Assembly of 29 representatives, 10 senators and the lieutenant governor met in the new capitol building. On Dec. 11, 1816, Indiana was formally admitted as the 19th state. Corydon remained the state capital until the government moved to Indianapolis in 1825.

Discover Where it all began

Tour the original state Capitol building, which served as Indiana’s government center from 1816 to 1825, and see a copy of the 1815 Census that helped officials prove the territory’s population—a requirement for statehood.

See Indiana's most important tree

Take a walk to see the preserved trunk of the Constitution Elm. It’s believed to be where the original 43 delegates to the Indiana Constitutional Convention gathered on a hot June day to draft the state’s first constitution.

Explore an Heirloom Herb Garden

Medicine in the early 1800s was different from what we use today. Some remedies were made using plants we grow in our herb garden. Lamb’s Ear was said to have antimicrobial properties and the soft leaves were used as bandages to prevent infections.

The original Capitol building

The square, Federal-style capitol building, built between 1814 and 1816, is located in the heart of downtown Corydon. Workers hauled limestone from nearby quarries to erect the 40-foot square walls, and logs were cut from virgin forests for the ceiling and roof supports. After the government moved to Indianapolis, the building was used as the Harrison County Courthouse. When the present courthouse was completed in 1929, the old capitol building was restored and opened as a state memorial in 1930.

The Governor's Headquarters

The Governor’s Headquarters, a brick home built in 1817, was the home and office to William Hendricks, Indiana’s second elected governor from 1822 to 1825. The building is one of nine original buildings from the time Corydon served as the state capital. The other buildings are the First State Office Building, Cedar Glade, Posey House, Westfall House, Branham Tavern, Adams-Payne House and Harvey Heth House.

The Porter Law Office

Judge William Porter helped defend Corydon when the Confederate soldiers under General John Hunt Morgan took control of the town. While Porter was too old to serve in the Union Army, he was a supporter of the North during the Civil War and chose to fight alongside the Harrison County Home Guard. Judge Porter and his descendants lived in the Governor’s Headquarters from 1841 to 1975.

The First State Office Building

Davis Floyd, a local politician, built the First State Office building in 1817. The brick portion on the left side of the picture is the original building. This building served as the headquarters for the state auditor and treasurer. There was once a vault in the cellar that held the state’s money that was accessible through a trapdoor that has since been covered.