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SPRUCING UP THE CAPITOL


More than 150 years old, the famous U.S.


Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C., was built with


with nearly million lbs. of cast iron pieces EŸĶǼs_ ǼŸ¶sǼÌsNj


nearly 9 million lbs. of cast iron pieces Ǽ


fiŘ Ķ OŸǣǼ Ÿ¯ ̱ˠʰ0ˣ˦ʰ2˨ˠ.


But the Dome’s ironwork consists of more than what is holding it up. The building also is surrounded with detailed decorative work in iron. Alas, weather and age had contrib- ȖǼs_ ǼŸ ŎŸNjs ǼÌ Ř ˠʰ300 ONj OĨǣ Ř_ fl ɠǣ ÞŘ the structure, according to Architect of the Capitol Stephen Ayers. In 2013, a project dedicated to the complete restoration of the capitol dome began.


“From a distance, the Dome looks magnif-


icent, thanks to the hard-work of our employ- ees,


ees,” Ayers said. On closer ook, under the


Ayers said. “On closer llook, under the paint, age and weather have taken its toll.” Even though most of the decorative


details on the Dome are hard to see from the ground, the original designers and experts put a lot of thought and work into adding these special touches to one of the most famous symbols of the country.


ˆɟÌ Ǽ Ý fiŘ_ ŎŸǣǼ ¯ ǣOÞŘ ǼÞض Þǣ ǼÌs


amount of detail that went into crafting the ornaments,” said Joe Abriatis, construction manager of the Dome Restoration project. “It is incredible to see the intricacy and to realize that these decorations were created at the time of the Civil War. There are little lines and ÞŘ_sŘǼ ǼÞŸŘǣ ǼÌs ǣÞʊs Ÿ¯ yŸȖNj ƼÞŘĨy fiضsNjŘ ÞĶ that cannot be seen from the ground and that have been obscured under a dozen lay- ers of paint. It is astonishing to know that we Njs ǣssÞض ǼÌsǣs _sǼ ÞĶǣ ¯ŸNj ǼÌs fiNjǣǼ ǼÞŎs ǣÞŘOs the last restoration in the 1960s.”


Photo provided by the Architect of the Capitol.


Detailed ornamental pieces are tucked in throughout the Dome’s architecture, barely seen from the ground. Many of these pieces were too damaged to fix onsite, so they were recast at an art foundry in Utah.


MELTING POINT


The Architect of the Capitol hired an art metalcasting facility called Historical Arts and Casting, West Jordan, Utah, to recast the missing or badly damaged decorative pieces of the Dome. These pieces include scrolls, OŸNjŘ ǣÌ Ƽsǣʰ flŸɠsNjǣʰ Ř_ Ķs ɚsǣ.


The replaced castings are as small as 5 in.


to more than 11 ft. long. Around 100 pieces were recast, including gutters, rail caps, orna-


11


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