STATEHOUSE NEWS

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A special commemoration of the Repose of Abraham Lincoln in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda will take place Monday, April 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will be marked with a Repose of Lincoln re-enactment and a photo exhibit. The event is free and open to the public.

The original coffin position in the Rotunda will be cordoned off, where in 1865, President Lincoln lay-in-repose. A mourning wreath of mixed evergreens, magnolia leaves and white roses will be placed at the site.

Flowers will be placed throughout the Rotunda to add realism to the event. The scent of flowers played an important part on the overall setting on April 29, 1865.

The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A, a group of Civil War re-enactors, will provide an honor guard over a replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin and catafalque in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda. The replica coffin is on loan courtesy of Batesville Casket Company (Batesville, IN), the company that made Lincoln’s original coffin in 1865. A changing of the guard is scheduled to take place every twenty minutes. Members of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A will stand guard from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Statehouse Rotunda.

About the Repose of Lincoln
Lincoln died in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 15, 1865 after being shot, nine hours earlier, by assassin John Wilkes Booth. Lincoln’s body traveled 1,700 miles by train from Washington, D.C. to Springfield, IL and was put to rest on May 4, 1865. Along the way, state funerals were conducted in 12 cities - Columbus was the ninth city to host such a service.

The doors to the Ohio Statehouse opened on April 29, 1865 shortly after 9 a.m. By 6 p.m. more than 50,000 people had filed through the Statehouse Rotunda to see the President’s coffin.

About the Photo Exhibit
Thanks to the Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center, a special exhibit of images from the Library of Congress will be on display in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda. The images chronicle Lincoln’s assassination and the men and women named as conspirators, along with their fate. This exhibit is for mature audiences.

Images of the Repose of Lincoln are available at: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Multimedia/MediaLibrary/Collection.aspx?start=1&collectionId=107844


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

The Ohio Statehouse is more than a monument to our past; it's where history happens! The Ohio Statehouse is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; weekends from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed holidays. The Ohio Statehouse Museum is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; weekends from noon to 4 p.m.; closed holidays. Admission is free. Free guided tours are offered weekdays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and weekends from noon to 3 p.m. Tours depart from the Map Room easily accessible from the Third Street entrance. Groups of 10 or more are requested to call in advance to ensure a guide is available. Contact 888/OHIO-123 for more information or to schedule a group tour. For more information about the Ohio Statehouse visit www.ohiostatehouse.org.

The Ohio Statehouse is handicapped accessible and senior friendly. The Capitol Square complex was restored to allow for greater access by individuals living with disabilities. Ohio Statehouse public programs and events are held in accessible and barrier free areas of the building so that everyone can participate. Ohio Statehouse visitors needing disability-related accommodations in order to fully participate in an event may contact the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board at statehouse@csrab.state.oh.us or 614/752-9777 to communicate special needs. Please allow three weeks for arrangements to be completed.

The Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board (CSRAB) is responsible for maintaining the historic character of the Statehouse and Capitol Square while providing for the health, safety and convenience of those who work in or visit the complex. The Ohio Statehouse Museum Education Center coordinates tours of Capitol Square and provides information about the buildings, their history and Ohio's government.

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Calendar Listing:

The Repose of President Lincoln
Replica of Lincoln's Coffin and Photo Exhibit on View
April 29, 2013; 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Ohio Statehouse Rotunda & Atrium, Broad & High Streets; downtown
Columbus
Free!

The 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A, a group of Civil War re-enactors, will provide an honor guard for a representation of Lincoln’s coffin and catafalque from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event takes place on the site where the slain President lay in repose in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda on April 29, 1865. A special exhibit of images from the Library of Congress will be on display in the Ohio Statehouse Rotunda. This exhibit is for mature audiences.