Statue of Freedom - Wikipedia
A monumental statue for the top of the national Capitol appeared in architect Thomas U. Walter's original drawing for the new cast-iron dome, which was authorized in 1855. Walter's drawing showed the outline of a statue representing the Goddess of Liberty; Crawford proposed instead an allegorical figure of Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace.
Statue of Freedom - Architect of the Capitol
A monumental statue for the top of the national Capitol was part of Architect Thomas U. Walter's original design for a new cast-iron dome, which was authorized by Congress in 1855. Walter's first drawing showed a 16-foot statue holding a liberty cap on the long rod with which a slave would be symbolically touched during a ceremony bestowing his ...
Who Stands Atop the Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building?
Apr 28, 2023 · In 1855, Congress approved plans for a cast-iron dome to top off the new and improved Capitol building. Architect Thomas Walter’s design included a statue for the top of the dome, originally intended to be a kind of classical figure.
Who is on top of the Capitol building? | The US Sun
Jan 20, 2021 · Who is on top of the Capitol building? The Capitol building is guarded by the Statue of Freedom, made by Thomas Crawford in 1863. The 15,000 pound statue sits over the dome at 19 feet and 6 inches tall and is made of bronze.
The Statue of Freedom | U.S. Capitol - Visitor Center
The full-size plaster model for the Statue of Freedom was used to cast the bronze statue on top of the Capitol dome. Freedom wears a helmet encircled with stars and topped with an eagle’s head and feathers, the talons hanging at either side of her face.
U.S. Senate: In Form and Spirit: Creating the Statue of Freedom
The massive bronze Statue of Freedom has been perched atop the great dome of the United States Capitol since its assembly was completed on December 2, 1863, amidst the pall of civil war. As the crowning feature of the building’s new cast-iron dome, it offered a glimmer of hope that the nation would endure.
Statue of Freedom - Wikiwand
Freedom stands atop a cast-iron globe encircled with one of the national mottoes, E pluribus unum. The lower part of the base is decorated with fasces and wreaths. Ten spikes are attached to her headdress, shoulders and shield to deter birds from roosting.
Picturing US History - Thomas Crawford, Statue of Freedom, …
Thomas Crawford’s Statue of Freedom (figure 1), the colossal bronze statue atop the U.S. Capitol dome, dominates the Capitol and the city of Washington, D. C., by virtue of its size and placement so far above the ground. Yet this symbol of freedom is often misidentified as an Indian.
The Capitol Story | U.S. Capitol - U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
The full-size plaster model for the Statue of Freedom was used to cast the bronze statue on top of the Capitol dome. Freedom wears a helmet encircled with stars and topped with an eagle’s head and feathers, the talons hanging at either side of her face.
Celebrating 150 Years of Freedom - Architect of the Capitol
Dec 2, 2013 · On May 11, 1855, Montgomery C. Meigs, engineer of the Capitol, wrote to artist Thomas Crawford commissioning him to create a statue to top the new Dome. Meigs provided guidance to Crawford for his design, writing, "We have too many Washingtons, we have America in the pediment.