The capital city of Illinois from 1820-1839, Vandalia was the place where a young Abraham Lincoln officially began he political career as an elected state legislator from the village of New Salem in 1834. Mr. Lincoln would play an important role of the controversial effort to move the state capital to the city of Springfield. ,
In a failed attempt to keep the state capital in Vandalia, the community’s citizens built a lovely Federal style building that would house all three branches of Illinois state government in one building for the first time in the state’s history. Today, the Vandalia Statehouse stands as an elegant reminder of Illinois’ early history as a new state.
A lovely urban pocket park across the street featuring a statue of the young legislator who would become president is the perfect spot for a photo with the Vandalia Statehouse as a backdrop. Nearby is the Fayette County Museum, featuring Lincoln-era memorabilia and the story of the people of Vandalia and Fayette County.
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