Background
Stephen Hills was born on August 10, 1771 in Ashford, Kent, England, United Kingdom.
Stephen Hills was born on August 10, 1771 in Ashford, Kent, England, United Kingdom.
He migrated to the United States early in the nineteenth century. At Harrisburg where he subsequently settled he entered the competition for a new Capitol, and the Greek Revival design submitted won for him the first prize of $400. Completed in the early 1820's the building was occupied until 1897 when it was destroyed by lire, and replaced in 1906 by the present Capitol designed by Joseph Huston. Mr. Hins was also architect of the old State Arsenal at Harrisburg.
In 1837 he was invited by the Missouri State Commissioners to plan a new building to replace the Jefferson City Capitol recently burned down. Basically a reproduction of the Pennsylvania capitol, it was completed in 1845 and stood until 1911. The present Capitol dates from about 1916, built from plans of the New York firm of Tracy & Swartwout. Also ascribed to Mr. Hills is the design of the original building of the State University at Columbia, Mo., erected in the early 1840’s and destroyed by fire in 1897
Hills married Margaret Ashby in 1794.