The legislature voted in 1810 to relocate the capital again, and moved the seat of government to Harrisburg in October 1812 onto the land originally given by Harris a decade earlier.[10] An additional 10 acres (4 ha) was also purchased from United States Senator William Maclay.[11] The legislature met in the old Dauphin County courthouse for the next decade until a new capitol was constructed.[12] A competition was held to determine the design of the capitol starting in 1816, which "was the first formal contest for [designing] an American statehouse".[13] The designs submitted, including one from William Strickland, were rejected as being too expensive.