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Preserving the past, inspiring the future

Piecing Together
the Old State Library

For decades, nearly everyone assumed that the walnut bookcases from the old State Library in the Capitol’s west wing were gone forever. Then a Lansing area woodworker revealed that he had quietly saved the wood when it was destined for the dump in the 1980s. This discovery set off a remarkable project to rebuild some of the beautiful old library bookcases and return them to the Capitol.

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See the Old State Library in the Capitol

State Library, c. (1879), Michigan State Capitol Collection
State Library, c. (1890), Michigan State Capitol Collection

Michigan’s State Library once filled three floors of the Capitol’s west wing. Outfitted with dozens of custom-built walnut bookcases, the library housed numerous state treasures, including rare books, documents, objects, maps, prints, and photographs. The collection eventually outgrew the space, leading to the library’s relocation to the new State Office Building (now the Elliott-Larsen Building) in the 1920s.

The Supreme Court and the Legislature forced the State Librarian to split her collection and leave the law books behind. The legal collection remained in the Capitol’s west wing, on the second floor, into the late 1960s. When the Supreme Court left the Capitol in 1970, they took the Law Library with them. Once the books were gone, the space was gutted out and the last of the walnut bookcases removed.
State Law Library, c. 1955, Archives of Michigan

Help us bring more of the story home

The State Library once filled three floors of the Capitol with exquisite walnut bookcases. Then they were lost. Now, piece by piece, the library bookcases are being found, restored, and rebuilt.

Discover More of the Capitol's CollectionsVisit the Modern Library of Michigan
Two ornate wooden display cabinets with glass doors standing on a patterned red carpeted floor inside a room with beige walls. The cabinet glass shows images of people and architectural elements inside.
Close-up of detailed dark wood carving with floral and flowing patterns on a polished wooden surface, against a blurred beige background.