The capital of Indiana Territory was moved from Vincennes to Corydon on May 1, 1813. When the territory became a state three years later, the Harrison County Courthouse would serve as its capitol building, now celebrated as Indiana’s first.
After the Illinois Territory was split from the Indiana Territory, opponents of former territorial governor and future President of the United States William Henry Harrison sought to move the territorial capital away from his political power base in Vincennes. The still-under-construction Harrison County Courthouse would be converted into the state capitol. Upon becoming the State of Indiana in 1816, the former courthouse became the first state capitol, just before construction was completed.
The first state capitol still stands among other structures from Corydon’s time as the state capital city, such as the Governor’s House and President Harrison’s log cabin. Guided tours of the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site and other early statehood buildings are offered by a branch of the Indiana State Museum to show the state’s early history.
