STATEHOUSE NEWS

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(Columbus, OH) –The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will commemorate the Repose of President Abraham Lincoln in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on Tuesday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This day marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when around 50,000 mourners passed by Lincoln’s coffin in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse.


The day will include Civil War reenactors, a historic 36-star flag, artifacts, cannon firings, videos, music and a replica coffin. The event is free, and the public is encouraged to join!


On the front lawn of the Statehouse, Civil War medical displays and an Artillery camp will be set up for guests to see. Visitors can meet James A. Garfield, Spy Pauline Cushman and other reenactors from the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A, Camp Delaware and the 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company B. Additionally, the Ladies Aid Society will host a tent with interactive activities while the Ohio Statehouse cannons fire on the hour to entertain spectators. Guests will enjoy historical music from the Song Sparrow, Diane Virostko and Steve Ball.


The Statehouse Rotunda will host a replica of President Lincoln’s coffin along with a historic 36-star flag. The flag flew over Capitol Square during the Repose of President Lincoln on April 29, 1865.


A video presentation about the 5th U.S. Colored Troops who mustered into the Union Army at Camp Delaware will be shown in the Governor Thomas Worthington Center courtesy of Community Arts Network.

The Statehouse Museum Shop, on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse, offers copies of Lincoln’s Gettysburg and Second Inaugural Addresses, small statues of President Lincoln and Lincoln’s hat and a beard attachment. Mini cannons, replica Civil War firearms, and other Civil War memorabilia are also available.


The Capitol Café will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for visitors to grab food and beverages.


Contact mrupert@ohiostatehouse.org for more information. For details about indoor Statehouse tours, please email tours@ohiostatehouse.org.

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(COLUMBUS, OH) — Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will meet Thursday, April 23, 2026 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The business meeting will be held in the State Room (room #108) and will begin at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is open to the public.

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In celebration of America 250-Ohio, the Ohio Statehouse will come alive with an American Revolutionary war encampment where visitors can step back in time to experience the sights, sounds and tastes of a late 18th-century military camp through music, historical reenactors and authentic demonstrations!

Participating historical groups include:
Captain Joseph Ogle’s Company of the Ohio County Virginia Militia
Heritage Fife and Drums
8th Pennsylvania Regiment
Citizens of the Ohio Country

"Two hundred and fifty years ago, Ohio was an outpost of the American Revolution as colonists fought for freedom and change. We are excited to give our visitors a glimpse of 1776 at our Continental Army Encampment on April 15," said Historic Site Manager, Chris Matheney, "Come experience how our young nation was forged through the sights and sounds of the Revolutionary War."

Nonprofit organization L.A. Catering, a division of LifeCare Alliance, will be providing free tasting samples of real-life recipes from the revolutionary time period!

Visitors and history enthusiasts are encouraged to explore this history encampment. For groups of 25 or more, please RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org by April 14.

For any questions concerning content or programming, please reach out to Chris Matheney, CMatheney@ohiostatehouse.org.

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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Ohio to be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds statewide in honor of the life and service of Sgt. Tyler Simmons, Capt. Seth R. Koval and Capt. Curtis J. Angst, members of the Ohio Air National Guard killed during Operation Epic Fury. The flags will remain lowered until sunset on the day of their funerals.


April 7, 2026 Update: The flags of the United States of America and the state of Ohio may return to full-staff at sunset on Friday, April 10, 2026, following the funerals of Capt. Seth Koval, Capt. Curtis Angst, and Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, who were killed during Operation Epic Fury.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will celebrate Women’s History Month with three free public programs on the last three Tuesdays in March at noon in the Statehouse Atrium. See ohiostatehouse.org for full details.


These 60-minute programs, scheduled for March 17, 24 and 31, will discuss women who made lasting contributions to science, history and outdoor exploration. Each event includes a question-and-answer session and is open to the public.

Reservations are not required, but schools and groups of 10 or more people are encouraged to RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org. American Sign Language interpretation will be available, however please RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org for reserved seating.

The series begins March 17 with “Sisters in Science and Conservation: Annette and E. Lucy Braun,” a panel discussion on the Braun sisters, whose work helped shape American natural science. E. Lucy Braun was a pioneer in forest ecology, and her sister, Annette Braun, was a world-renowned entomologist and the first woman to earn a doctoral degree from the University of Cincinnati.

On March 24, Valerie Hamill of Galena, Ohio, will present “Major Pauline Cushman: Spy of the Cumberland,” a first-person portrayal of Cushman’s service as a Union spy during the Civil War and her later life.

The series concludes March 31 with “Grandma Gatewood: Ohio’s Hiking Pioneer,” presented by Caitlin Edwards. The program examines the legacy of Emma Rowena Gatewood, whose long-distance hiking accomplishments inspired generations of women to explore the outdoors.

Each program will be live-streamed and recorded by Ohiochannel.org.

Located on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse, the Capitol Cafe is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Statehouse Museum Shop is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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(Columbus, Ohio)- The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) and the Capitol Square Foundation announced the 2026 Great Ohioan Award recipient. The Capitol Square Foundation presented the selected individual from nominations submitted by citizens and organizations across Ohio.

The 2026 Great Ohioan awardee is Jo Ann Davidson, a well-known figure in Ohio politics.

Jo Ann Davidson (1927-2024) was the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives. She served in the Ohio House for more than two decades, from 1980 to 2000, and held leadership roles since 1985 as assistant minority whip, minority whip and minority leader before her service as speaker from 1995 to 2000.

Her former elected positions were on the Reynoldsburg City Council and as a Truro Township Trustee. She was a member of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board and many other groups and commissions. In 2005, she was elected to serve as co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

“Speaker Davidson not only broke barriers in state government, she inspired and mentored countless numbers of women now in public service,” said Capitol Square Foundation Chairman Charles Moses. “She could be a partisan force, but consistently reached across the aisle to serve all Ohioans.”

The Great Ohioan award's selection criteria rely on whether the nominee was born in Ohio or lived in Ohio for at least five years and whether the commemorated event the nominee participated in took place 25 years ago.

“The Ohio Statehouse is a perfect place to honor Jo Ann Davidson’s contributions to our state,” said Megan Wycuff, CSRAB Executive Director, “Visitors can walk in the same halls as she did and learn about her leadership by viewing the Great Ohioans exhibit.”

There have been 65 Great Ohioans previously recognized for this award for their essential contributions to history, ranging from politicians, astronauts, healthcare pioneers, writers, athletes, abolitionists and more. To learn about the other awardees, visit our website.

Great Ohioans Exhibit
The Great Ohioans exhibit in the Ohio Statehouse Museum gives visitors insight into people who have shaped Ohio’s story with their unique talents. Guests are encouraged to explore the life and legacy of each recipient of the Great Ohioan Award through the free interactive display, which is open every day of the week except on state holidays.

Ohio Women’s Monument
In honor of the women who have championed suffrage and continue advocating for equality within the state, a new monument is planned for the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse. The Ohio Women’s Monument is an ongoing initiative designed to commemorate the historical, current and future efforts dedicated to women’s suffrage and equality in Ohio. The initiative is a partnership of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, the Capitol Square Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council. Renowned artist Brenda Councill is currently creating the sculpture, which is set to be unveiled in the autumn of 2026.

For information about supporting the project, please visit the website, https://ohcapitolsquarefoundation.org/about-the-statehouse/ohio-womens-suffrage-monument/.


To view this press release and others, visit ohiostatehouse.org.
Photo available.

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The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will celebrate Black History Month with free educational programs every Tuesday in February at noon in the Statehouse Atrium. Topics include West African music and dance, Freedom on the Frontier, Black Communities in Cincinnati and and history programs by the Underground Railroad and Freedom Center and the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Admission is free. Reservations are not required, but large groups and schools are encouraged to RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org. American Sign Language interpretation will be available, however please RSVP to tours@ohiostatehouse.org for reserved seating.


Scheduled noon presentations include:

Feb. 3- A Century of Black History Commemoration: Preservation & Truth

Music and Dance presented by The Thiossane Institute

Join the Thiossane (pronounced cha-sahn) Institute for a special performance and experience the richness of West African culture through dance and music to create a space of learning and growth through traditional African culture.



Feb. 10- Freedom on the Frontier: Native & African-American Paths to Liberty in Revolutionary-Era and Early 19th-Century Ohio

This program is recommended for ages 10 and up.

This panel discussion explores how Native nations in Revolutionary-era and early 19th-century Ohio created unexpected pathways of settlement for African-descended people fleeing slavery or increasingly restrictive laws. Through case studies and frontier history, the program reveals how Native traditions of adoption, sanctuary, and mobility challenged European and U.S. notions of citizenship and slavery. This program will also discuss Black life on the frontier and how African-American and Native-American cultures interacted, including multi-racial communities.


Feb. 17- Exhuming the Archives: Early Black Settlement Communities of Cincinnati

Presentation by The National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center

This program is recommended for ages 13 and up.

This presentation will explore the Social Justice Curator’s recent investigative efforts to learn more about the inhabitants who called Little Africa, Bucktown, and Little Bucktown home in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. By sourcing newspaper archives and census data, she will demonstrate how she uses the resources of her public library to learn about the surrounding built environment.


Feb. 24 – The Green Book in Columbus

Presented by the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Join Columbus Metropolitan Library staff members from the Local History and Genealogy Department to learn about the Negro Motorist Green Book, a guide published from 1936 to 1966 to help Black Americans navigate the dangers of segregation and discrimination while traveling the U.S. Explore the history of the guide, Central Ohio Green Book sites, and the people who made them possible in our community.

Each program will be live-streamed and recorded by OhioChannel.org.

Located on the ground floor, the Capitol Café is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Statehouse Museum Shop is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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(COLUMBUS, OH) — Members of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) will meet Thursday, January 22, 2026 at the Ohio Statehouse in downtown Columbus. The business meeting will be held in the State Room (room #108) and will begin at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is open to the public. Older Posts