This copy was given to Jonathan Jennings, President of the Constitutional Convention and Indiana's first Governor. On November 11,1816, Jennings delivered the copy to the first General Assembly, which ordered it to be deposited with the Secretary of State. The "official" copy remained with the Secretary of State until 1934, when it was transferred to the Indiana State Archives.

By 1992, the 1816 Constitution was showing its age. The original sheep-skin binding had faded and dried out, showing early signs of crumbling. The binding's joints (the flexible junction where the covers and spine meet) were worn and loose. Internally, the once sturdy pages were limp and lifeless. The edges and folds of the paper sheets were chipped and torn. Fingerprints and stains were visible on many pages, and the highly acidic iron gall ink used in writing the document had corroded the paper. To meet this crisis, James E. Farmer, first President of the Friends of the Indiana State Archives, approached the Indiana Bar Foundation for a grant to restore the Constitution. Recognizing the importance of this unique document, the Bar Foundation responded positively.

The 1816 Constitution was restored by conservator James Canary of Bloomington, using the conservation laboratory at Indiana University's Lilly Library. William Cagle, the Lilly Librarian, graciously offered these facilities to ensure the security of the Constitution while out of the State Archives. On August 31, 1995, Indiana State Police transported the Constitution to Bloomington, accompanied by the Archives' preservation officer.

Canary began restoration by removing the pages from the binding. The pages were first washed in de-ionized water to remove surface grime, then deacidified using a methyl magnesium carbonate applied with a spray gun to neutralize the paper's inherent acids. As a result the pages are now clean and crisp. The original sheepskin binding was oiled to revive its suppleness, and the joints were repaired by adding new leather around the spine. The original leather was then laid back down over the new to replicate the original appearance of the binding.

As a last step, Canary restitched the original pages back into the binding. The restored Constitution was unveiled at a grand ceremony in the State House on December 11, 1995--Indiana Statehood Day. In recognition of the Indiana Bar Foundation’s support of the restoration, the Friend of the Indiana State Archives presented its Constitution Elm Award to the Bar Foundation at the Friends’ Annual Meeting on April 10, 1996.