 The Old State Capitol State Historic Site will host a training day
Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Old State Capitol Foundation
Hall to prepare volunteers to work at downtown historic sites.
Volunteers are vital to the continued success of the programs at the
Old State Capitol and Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices and are needed as
tour guides, costumed interpreters, greeters, costume makers and to
take part in special events. They can also participate in the
ongoing "History Comes Alive" living history program this summer.
The Aug. 4 event will train those interested in volunteering and
will introduce current volunteers to the new living history
directions being taken to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the
Civil War. Also, a new tour guide for the Lincoln-Herndon Law
Offices will be introduced.
A new program titled "Illinois' Capital Goes to War" will feature
many new exhibits, such as the Ladies' and Soldiers' Aid Society,
depicting the role of women who met in the building and organized
supplies for the comfort and relief of Illinois troops. Displays of
Civil War flags, weapons and equipment are planned, and the "General
of the Month" exhibit next to the adjutant general's office will
continue to highlight one Illinois Civil War general each month.
These new features will demonstrate how the Old State Capitol was
transformed from the seat of state government to the headquarters of
a state at war.
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During the 1840s and 1850s, the Old State Capitol was the scene
of debate over issues that led the nation to war in 1861. During the
Civil War, the Statehouse was the center of the state's efforts at
wartime mobilization. The Capitol also provided space for events
aiding the needs of local residents as well as soldier relief
efforts.
The Old State Capitol State Historic Site is administered by the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and is open to the public
every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
[Text from file received from
the Illinois Historic
Preservation Agency]
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