Iowa City was once the state capital of Iowa (1842-1876). For reasons unknown to me, the state capital was then changed to Des Moines. So for thirty-four years, if you lived in Iowa City, you lived in the state capital. And, during this time, if you walked or rode by the building pictured above, you might have said to yourself, "There she is - the state capitol building, in all her splendor." This building is now known as the Old Capitol Building, and it sits on campus, by the Iowa River. It houses a small museum. Weirdly, this building is not in the center of downtown. It's off to the West of downtown, in the middle of a large manicured lawn. It has been suggested that the position of the Old Capitol Building provokes unconscious disorientation in the minds of the local citizenry. Yeah...maybe. Now, if you live in Iowa City, you walk or ride by this building and you say to yourself, "There she is - a weirdly positioned monument to the I.C.'s glorious, 34 year-long reign."
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