Civics
3
The United States Capitol dome is a defining feature of Washington, D.C., rising 288 feet above the rotunda and crowned by the Statue of Freedom. The current dome replaced an earlier, smaller dome completed by Charles Bulfinch in 1823 after the Capitol’s expansion made it appear undersized. Designed by Thomas U. Walter and built from 1855 to 1866, the new fireproof cast-iron double dome drew on major European models and used about 8.9 million pounds of iron. Inside, it features Constantino Brumidi’s fresco The Apotheosis of Washington. As the ironwork aged, major restoration from 2014 to 2016 repaired and preserved the structure.
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Washington, District of Columbia · United States
