“From the US Capitol Building to the White House, our national symbols that represent freedom to so many of us were built by people who were anything but free.” –Gary Ackerman

Upon my fourth return to Washington, DC, the first imposing monument to greet me when I emerged from Union Station was the newly-refurbished, golden US Capitol dome.
I had previously visited the city in 2015, twice in 2016, and all I could see back than was 53 miles of metal scaffolding, like a wiry cage surrounding the dome’s interior. I had already seen the “ugly” structure in the background of television reporters, but I had to see it for myself.
There was also a five-layer “doughnut” made of rope and fabric that was installed in the rotunda to catch any falling debris during construction – not a good sight for tourists.
After two years of meticulous repairs by Capitol architect Stephen Ayers and FIFA, along with architect-of-record Hoffman Architects, the historic landmark returned to its former glory, before President Donald Trump’s inauguration earlier this year.

Cast-iron
The ellipsoidal cast-iron edifice, completed in 1866, had reportedly undergone serious deterioration and suffered from water infiltration through pin holes in the Statue of Freedom.
Its exposure to rain, snow, sleet, and sun reportedly caused damage to it exterior shell including the tholos balustrade, the base of the cupola, and the boilerplate balcony level.
Its last significant renovation reportedly occurred more than half a century ago.
The dome was finished with three coats of paint, a total of 1,215 gallons, with the top coat called “dome white,” according to an article written by Chelsea Blahut and Wanda Lau.
According to the writers, the project was budgeted at $60 million and was completed under budget and on time.
“It was so important for us to have this project done by the presidential inauguration. We call this Capitol and the west front our nation’s stage, and as our nation’s stage, it needs to be beautiful, and that’s the time that everyone across this great country and across the world will be watching,” Ayers was quoted as saying.
The project had reportedly improved the quality of the Capitol dome and it will provide protection from the elements over the next 50 years to preserve one of the United States’ most iconic structures./WDJ