[5] One surviving 1839 sketch of the proposed capital shows a radically different layout, with two domes and a central tower.

As the school grew, the Old Capitol remained the focal point of the university, serving as a library, chapel, and armory, and providing space for classrooms and offices.

The Old Capitol sits in the middle of the Pentacrest, five buildings in an X pattern at the center of the University of Iowa's campus.

Instead, the offices were moved out, and with the leadership of educator and conservationist Margaret Keyes the university undertook a six-year interior renovation of the building, restoring most of it back to its original condition as a government building in the 1850s, and for use as a state historical museum.

The University of Iowa began another round of renovations to upgrade the Old Capitol Building.

The fire was limited to the cupola of the building, thanks to a concrete slab firewall that had been installed during the 1920s renovation.

[8] In February 2003, a new, 12,000 pound wood dome was placed on top of the Old Capitol Building.

The University of Iowa's official logo is a graphic representation of the Old Capitol dome.