The current Indiana State Capitol building, also referred to as a state house, is the fifth since Indiana became the 19th state on December 11, 1816. The four-story, Greek Revival building in Indianapolis is in the shape of a cross and constructed from local limestone and oak. It was finished under budget in 1888. By then, the term “Hoosier” had been around for more than fifty years. State historians theorize the term came from the practice of country folk shouting “Who’s here?” when an unidentified person approached their frontier cabin. Hoosier then evolved into a derogatory label before becoming a common name for an Indiana resident around 1830.
