Lancaster is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States.And from 1799 to 1812, it was the capital of Pennsylvania.The commonwealth's colonial legislature didn't have a regular home from 1681 to 1729. It met wherever it could find space – ranging from local taverns, private residences, town halls to other meeting places. Population growth eventually made this option unrealistic.In 1729, the Pennsylvania Assembly voted to appropriate money to build a state house.Independence Hall in Philadelphia was finished in 1753. It was the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the new nation were debated and signed.Then, in 1799, the state assembly moved west to Lancaster, citing reasons ranging from disease to population growth.Lawmakers met at the Lancaster County Courthouse during that time.After just 13 years, the Assembly decided to use some donated land along the Susquehanna River to build two state office buildings. John Harris Jr., who provided the land, recommended it as the site for a new state capitol.In 1812, the legislature moved to Harrisburg.