Cherokee National Capitol Building

Title

Cherokee National Capitol Building

Subject

Cherokee Indians; Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma; Capitols

Description

WEST AND SOUTH ELEVATIONS - Cherokee National Capitol Building, 101-29 South Muskogee Avenue, Tahlequah, Cherokee County, OK

The Cherokee National Capitol, completed and occupied by circa 1869, was constructed on the site which had served as the meeting place for the Cherokee Government since their arrival in Indian Territory in 1839. Built to replace its wooden predecessor (which had burned during the Civil War), it housed the Cherokee Supreme Court as well as the Cherokee legislature, which convened there for the longest unbroken period of time in its history. With statehood in 1907, the National Council lost its power as a lawmaker, and the building soon became the property of Cherokee County. It has served as the County Courthouse ever since. Its Italianate appearance reflects the apparent time lag of popular architectural styles from East to West.

Creator

Smalling, Walter

Source

Historic American Buildings Survey,
Engineering Record, Landscapes Survey

Date

circa 1930

Rights

No known restrictions on images made by the U.S. Government; images copied from other sources may be restricted. (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/res/114_habs.html)

Original Format

Photograph

Physical Dimensions

5 x 7 inches

Files

129290pv_crop.jpg

Citation

Smalling, Walter, “Cherokee National Capitol Building,” SCRC Virtual Museum at Southern Illinois University's Morris Library, accessed March 19, 2024, https://scrcexhibits.omeka.net/items/show/848.

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