The first state capitol building in Jefferson City was built in 1826 but was destroyed by fire in 1837. A new state capitol building was then rebuilt in 1840, however, the second capitol building was destroyed by fire as well on February 5, 1911, when a bolt of lightning struck the dome. The state capitol building we see today was built in 1917 and stands upon the same spot as its predecessors, atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.