Statue of Freedom

A big bronze lady stands high up.

She sits on a dome. She is called Freedom. She holds a shield and a wreath. She also holds a sword.

She wears a helmet with an eagle on it. The lady looks toward the rising sun.

Ten spikes are on her. These spikes keep birds away. A wire helps her stay safe from lightning.

People can see her model in a hall. It is a very grand sight.

The Statue of Freedom stands high atop the U.S. Capitol dome.

This big bronze figure was made by Thomas Crawford. She weighs about 15,000 pounds. She stands 288 feet above the plaza.

The statue shows a woman. She holds a shield and a wreath of victory. Her right hand holds a sword in its case. She wears a helmet with an eagle head and feathers.

A heavy blanket hangs over her shoulder.

Making the statue was a long journey. The plaster model traveled from Italy in a small ship. The ship leaked and had to stop for repairs. Later, Philip Reid helped finish the bronze casting.

In 1863, the statue was raised to the top. Guns fired to salute her arrival.

Ten spikes on the statue keep birds away. A thick copper wire helps guide lightning to the ground. This keeps the statue safe. In 1993, a helicopter lifted her down for cleaning.

She was soon returned to her place on the dome.

The Statue of Freedom is a huge bronze figure. It sits high atop the United States Capitol dome.

This statue represents an idea rather than a real person. It is an allegorical figure, which means it stands for a big concept like liberty. The statue is very large and heavy. It weighs about 15,000 pounds. Its highest point reaches 288 feet above the east front plaza. People look up at it to feel the spirit of freedom. It is a very important part of the Capitol building.

The statue has many interesting details to see. A woman is the main figure. She holds a sheathed sword in her right hand. In her left hand, she carries a laurel wreath and a shield. The shield shows the United States. She wears a special robe called a chiton. A heavy blanket with fringes hangs over her left shoulder. Her helmet is decorated with stars and an eagle head.

The helmet also has a crest of feathers. Ten spikes are attached to her to keep birds from sitting on her.

Making the statue was a very long and hard job. Thomas Crawford designed it in 1854. He made a plaster model in his studio in Rome, Italy.

The model was sent to America in six large crates. It traveled on a small sailing ship in 1858. The ship leaked and had to stop for repairs in Gibraltar. It even stopped in Bermuda because of more leaks. Finally, the pieces arrived in Washington, D.C., in 1859. The statue was cast in bronze by Clark Mills.

Many people helped bring the statue to life. During the casting, a man named Philip Reid helped lead the work. He was one of the slaves at the foundry. The statue cost $23,796.82 to make. In 1863, the statue was finally placed on the dome.

Former slaves helped lift the sections into place. When the head was raised on December 2, 1863, guns fired a salute. They fired 35 guns, and 12 forts around the city joined in. It was a very big moment for the country.

The statue is also built to stay safe from nature. A thick copper wire connects it to the earth. This wire carries lightning safely to the ground. In 1993, the statue was lowered by helicopter.

It needed cleaning because the bronze was pitting and rusting. The work cost $780,000 from private funds. Today, you can see the original plaster model in a museum. You can also see the statue's face on many postage stamps and coins.

The Statue of Freedom is a monumental bronze figure atop the United States Capitol.

It serves as an allegorical figure, meaning it represents an abstract concept rather than a specific person. While it was once called "Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace," it is officially known as the Statue of Freedom. This colossal sculpture sits at the very top of the Capitol dome. It stands as a powerful symbol of liberty for the nation. The statue is massive, weighing approximately 15,000 pounds (6,800 kg). Its highest point reaches 288 feet above the east front plaza of the Capitol.

The design of the figure includes many specific symbolic details. The woman wears a chiton, which is a type of ancient robe. A heavy, American Indian–style fringed blanket is draped over her left shoulder. Her right hand holds the hilt of a sheathed sword. In her left hand, she carries a laurel wreath of victory and the Shield of the United States. She wears a military helmet decorated with stars and an eagle's head. This helmet features an umbrella-like crest of feathers.

The figure stands upon a cast-iron globe. This globe is encircled by the national motto, "E pluribus unum."

To protect the sculpture from the elements, engineers included several functional features. Ten spikes are attached to the headdress, shoulders, and shield. These spikes serve to deter birds from roosting on the statue. The statue also acts as a conductor for lightning strikes. A thick copper wire connects the statue to a spike in the earth. This creates a safe, high-current pathway that conducts lightning down to its base. This system prevents damage from natural electrical storms.

The history of the statue began with architect Thomas U. Walter. In 1855, he authorized a drawing for a new cast-iron dome. He originally wanted a statue representing the Goddess of Liberty. However, sculptor Thomas Crawford proposed a different allegorical figure. Crawford was commissioned in 1854 to design the statue. He created a plaster model in his studio located in Rome, Italy.

Jefferson Davis, then the U.S. Secretary of War, oversaw the Capitol decorations. Davis ordered the removal of the original cap design. He believed the cap was inappropriate for a free people. Consequently, the military helmet with the eagle crest was used instead.

Moving the statue to America was a difficult process. Crawford died in 1857 before the full-size model could leave Italy. The model was packed into six crates and shipped in 1858. A small sailing vessel carried the crates, but the ship began to leak. It had to stop in Gibraltar for repairs. The ship leaked again and could only reach Bermuda. The crates were stored there until new transportation was found. Only half the crates arrived in New York City in December 1858. The remaining sections did not reach Washington, D.C., until late March 1859.

Construction of the bronze figure took place in Washington, D.C. Starting in 1860, Clark Mills cast the statue in five main sections. Work stopped in 1861 due to the Civil War. The project resumed, and the statue was finished by the end of 1862. The casting process faced a labor dispute when the foreman went on strike. Mills turned the work over to Philip Reid, an enslaved man at the foundry. Reid presided over the rest of the casting and assembly. The total cost for the statue was $23,796.82. In 1863, the statue was hoisted into place by former slaves.

On December 2, 1863, the head was raised to a salute of 35 guns.

In 1993, the statue underwent a major restoration. It was removed from the dome by helicopter for five months.

The bronze surface showed extensive pitting and corrosion. Additionally, the cast-iron pedestal had a crack and was rusting. The United States Capitol Preservation Commission provided $780,000 in private funds for this work. The New Arts Foundry of Baltimore performed the restoration. They stripped the paint and cleaned the metal components. The pedestal was repaired and repainted to match the statue. The statue returned to its perch on October 23, 1993.

The image of the Statue of Freedom is used widely in American culture. It appears on various official designs and commemorations. The head of the statue is featured on a 1923 postage stamp. It also appears on a stamp from 1950 celebrating the 150th anniversary of Washington, D.C. The statue is depicted on 1989 United States Congress Bicentennial coins. It can also be seen on the Medal of Freedom and the Iraq Campaign Medal. These uses connect the physical sculpture to many different national symbols.