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VANDALIA: FAYETTE COUNTY
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Vandalia: Fertile Ground For History Buffs, Plus Downtown Shopping And Eateries
tanding in the foyer of the Old State Capitol, one might expect a young Abraham Lincoln to come bounding down the winding staircase after a House of Representatives session. The oldest remaining state capitol building in Illinois is located at the intersection of the National Road (U.S. 40) and U.S. Route 51 in the city of Vandalia. The restored building welcomes visitors who want to experience the early years of Lincoln’s career (1834-1839). Ten Lincoln Wayside Exhibits have been erected. Eight are around the capitol at Rogier Park and at the Old State Cemetery. These storyboards feature little known facts from President Lincoln’s life and times in Vandalia. Visitors may not know that Lincoln proposed to a woman named Mary Owens before he met Mary Todd, or that Lincoln and Stephen Douglas first met here. Also, Lincoln’s first official stand against slavery was in Vandalia. The Vandalia Statehouse is open May through Labor Day, Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. post Labor Day. Located across the street from the Capitol is Lincoln Park, featuring a life-size bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln designed by world-renowned Lincoln sculptor John McClarey.
PAGE 62 | 2021 Discover Visitor & Vacation Guide To Central Illinois
Directly north of the old Capitol is the Fayette County Museum, located in the historic Presbyterian Church built in 1867. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places and houses Lincoln-era memorabilia and artifacts of the people living in the county. Of special interest is an original paper press from the Capitol, and visitors can hold a hand tool traced back to Lincoln that is The Vandalia Statehouse
