Famous Capitol Dome Begins 2-Year Renovation

From the Dec. 25, 2013, Yahoo! News "2-year renovation starts for Capitol's famous dome" AP, by Charles Babington.

It's been wrecked time and again on diaster flicks (most recently I saw it get nailed on "2012"), but still, safer than the White House, especially against terrorist attacks if you believe the movies of the last year. And, it will cost $60 million, but, hey, it's a big symbol of the United States.

Starting in the spring, scaffolding will encircle the icon with the intention of stripping multiple layers of paint and repair the more than 1,000 cracks and broken pieces in it. Through it all, it will remain illuminated at night, scaffolding and all. Water has been seeping in through the cracks and is rusting the cast iron in the dome.

Work on it begins just as the nearby Washington Monument sheds its scaffolding from repairs resulting from that 2011 earthquake.

Washington, D.C. limits buildings to no more than 130 feet because of the Capitol Dome. It was only half-completed during the Civil War and this is the first major renovation in 50 years.

Actually, the famed Dome consists of two domes, one under and supporting the outer one that we see as it would be too heavy otherwise. The dome's iron and masonry weigh 14.1 million pounds and the 150-year-old cast iron skeleton is of low quality by today's standards.

Dome Me. --Cooter