On February 27, 1904, an early-morning fire destroyed the State Capitol Building. After a 20-hour battle, only the dome, part of the north wing, and a stone facade remained. Ignited by a gas jet in a second-floor closet, the blaze consumed everything in the GAR Memorial Hall, including the taxidermy of Old Abe. The heroic acts of a visitor from Chicago and others rescued the precious Civil War battle flags on display in the rotunda. Following the fire, Custodian Rood again called for citizens to donate relics to the Hall.