House Party

Ohio Statehouse celebrates 150 years

story cupola, the focal point of the Statehouse. The exterior is constructed entirely of limestone from a Grandview Heights area quarry.

The Statehouse was originally designed to have 53 rooms, and restoration in the 1990s brought it back to its original look. Hesch recalls the bad condition the building was in when she first started, but it is much more inviting now, she says.

“Before, it was not as much the people’s house,” Hesch says. “We can be proud of the building, the grounds.”

The building’s rooms now total 57, not including those in the Senate office building and atrium.

“I’m very proud to be here, to work here,” Hesch says. “I am still as excited working here as I have been from the (first) day.” cs

On Nov. 15, the Statehouse will host a 150th birthday party to celebrate the success of past and present Ohioans. It will include an open house and the annual Capitol Artists Fair. The Ohio Statehouse 150th Birthday Celebration Open House and Capitol Artists Fair will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a cake cutting in the rotunda at noon.

The fair features dozens of Ohio artists, from glassmakers to painters, and opportunities to buy Ohio art and tour the building.

A giant birthday card for the community to sign, and additional cards created by residents, will become part of the permanent archives, and officials hope to display the items at future anniversaries, says Gregg Dodd, Statehouse deputy director for communications.