UI repairs Old Capitol flagpole

University of Iowa Facilities Management staff repaired a pulley on the flagpole above the UI Old Capitol Museum dome Thursday, Jan. 15, that became jammed in early December.

By late morning Thursday, with the help of two Facilities Management staff in a work cage attached to a crane and a staff member in the dome, the pulley was repaired, the rope was replaced, and the U.S. and State of Iowa flags were hoisted back in place.

The Old Capitol has a rich history. When the building’s cornerstone was laid on Independence Day in 1840, Iowa City became the second seat of state government, where the last four Iowa territorial legislatures met. In Old Capitol, Iowa made the transition to statehood, the first governor was inaugurated, the first six Iowa general assemblies met, and the state’s constitution—still the fundamental law of Iowa—was drafted.

When the state government moved to Des Moines in 1857, Old Capitol was deeded to the UI and became the first building owned by the university. The UI’s charter was made official by the First Iowa General Assembly in 1847 in Old Capitol, just 59 days after Iowa’s admission to statehood. The university opened its doors to students in March 1855, conducting classes in a rented building. 

Since 1857 Old Capitol has been a focal point of the university, serving as library, chapel, armory, and providing space for classrooms and offices as the university grew. Today, it continues to serve both functionally and symbolically, housing the museum and highlighting the university’s progress.