The Brunner Plan for the Harrisburg Capitol Complex

In 1915 the commonwealth began a massive urban project providing government offices and a public park to replace the Eighth Ward of Harrisburg just to the east of the Capitol building. The organizing design was the Brunner Plan, created by architect and planner Arnold W. Brunner (1857–1925), a champion of classically inspired civic spaces. The ambitious plan reflected the ideals of the City Beautiful movement and made Harrisburg's Capitol Park one of the best designed capitol complexes in the country.