STATEHOUSE NEWS

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A (1st OLA, Bat. A), in conjunction with the Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board (CSRAB) will bring an original Civil War cannon, gun #179, to Cleveland from the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to salute the new USS Cleveland, a Littoral Combat Ship.

Battery A is a 501(c)(3) Civil War reenactment unit attached to the Ohio Statehouse, with a mission to educate Ohioans about their history in the Civil War.

On Saturday, May 16, Battery A will participate in the USS Cleveland ship commissioning ceremony alongside fellow reenactors from Valley View, Ohio, who reenact the Cleveland based 19th Ohio Independent Battery.

Gun #179 is now stationed on the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. It was made for the state of Ohio in 1864 and issued to a Cleveland based unit, the 8th Ohio National Guard Independent Battery. This is the cannon that fired a salute at the funeral of President Lincoln in Cleveland on April 28, 1865.

The cannon will fire again in Cleveland, for a much happier occasion, during the ship commissioning ceremony which begins at 10 a.m. on May 16, 2026.

Contact: Duane Rezac
Captain, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A
740-503-8023
Duane.rezac@gmail.com

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The Statehouse will be closed Sunday May 10 for elevator inspections. During these inspections building generators, sirens and strobes will be activated at times starting at 7 a.m. Please, be advised the sounds and lights are only a test.

The Statehouse Parking Garage will be accessible but all elevators in the garage will be out of service during this time.

We thank you for your patience while the Statehouse is closed.

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Columbus, OH–The Ohio Village Muffins and Lady Diamonds will face off against the Capitol Cannons, state senators and representatives, in an old-fashioned game of “base ball” on Tuesday, May 12. The match will go from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Ohio Statehouse West Lawn.

A blast from the 1864 cannon will start the event with help from the Statehouse’s 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A.

The event is free and open to the public. Food and beverages will be available from Momma’s Burger Bites food truck.

This exhibition game involves rules and regulations from the 1860s, so some of them might appear unconventional. There are a few major differences between “base ball” and baseball that the audience should be aware of:
· The ball is pitched underhand from anywhere behind the pitcher’s line.
· If a ball is hit and caught on a bounce, it is an out.
· Base runners may not steal nor slide foot-first.

Experience the entertaining seven-inning affair, enjoy an outdoor meal and witness cannon firings all in one night.

To view photos of the 2024 “base ball” match, visit Vintage Base Ball 2024.

About the Ohio Village Muffins and Vintage “Base Ball”
Formed in 1981, the Ohio Village Muffins were the first vintage “base ball” team in the United States to play a set schedule of games. They also hosted the initial meeting of the Vintage Base Ball Association (VBBA). The uniforms are standard to the 1860s: plain pants, a white shirt with a bright shield containing the team emblem, a vintage cap, a leather belt and a red tie. Recreational activities for men and women, especially “base ball,” were becoming more ingrained in American society during the middle of the 19th century, so the Muffins represent a changing America. They highlight a game that would transcend all others and become America’s favorite pastime.
Support for this event is provided by the Ohio Lobbying Association, the Ohio Village Muffins and Lady Diamonds, and the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A.
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In honor of the life and service of former State Senator James Carnes, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Belmont County and at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes Tower from sunrise to sunset on the day of his funeral, May 4, 2026.

All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.

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Please be informed that the canon firings have been canceled at the Ohio Statehouse Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Due to rain, the cannon firings will not take place.

The public is invited inside the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda and Atrium for the annual commemoration of the Repose of Lincoln with historical reenactors from 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A.

The day’s activities, without cannon firings, include Civil War reenactors, music, a video and a replica of Lincoln’s coffin on display in the Rotunda. The public is encouraged to join! Please visit OhioStatehouse.org for more details.

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—In honor of the life and service of former Ohio House of Representatives member William ‘Bill’ Patmon, Governor Mike DeWine has ordered that the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio shall be flown at half-staff upon all public buildings and grounds throughout Cuyahoga County as well as at the Ohio Statehouse, Vern Riffe Center, and Rhodes Tower from sunrise to sunset on the day of his funeral, April 21, 2026.
All other public buildings and grounds throughout the state may fly the flags of the United States and the state of Ohio at half-staff at their discretion for the same time period.

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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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