2002 Marble Dome Ornament

The marble used for this finely crafted ornament was taken from the wing occupied by the House of Representatives. Originally, the east front steps of these chambers were installed between 1863 and 1865. Every member of the House — over 9,000 — since that time has trod these steps leaving footprints of history. The steps were removed in 1995, and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society has been permitted to use a portion of the removed marble to create this memento. The marble, which is crushed to a fine powder, is combined with resin to achieve the stone-like quality of the 2002 Dome Ornament and to allow you to enjoy a tangible piece of history in your own home.

Architectural historian William C. Allen described the dome of the United States Capitol as "America's most famous landmark, recognized throughout the world as a symbol of our people and our democratic institutions." The massive cast-iron dome, seen as a backdrop on the evening news, is actually the Capitol's second dome replacing an earlier copper-covered wooden dome constructed in the 1820s. This second dome, completed during the Civil War at a cost of slightly more than one million dollars and composed of 8,909,200 pounds of cast iron, is both a marvel of architectural engineering and a symbol — a symbol not only of American ingenuity but also of American democracy.