Rotunda Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

The scaffolding is up and artistic work is beginning on the first two of eight murals set to cover parts of the Capitol dome and rotunda.

Joining Gov. Jim Justice in his weekly media briefing, Secretary of West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History Randall Reid-Smith said architect Cass Gilbert’s original plan from the state Capitol’s dedication in 1932 included a mural display.

“There was actually no money at that time,” Reid-Smith said. “Of course, we had the Depression, and there was no extra money to do these things. There were 18 governors, 19 if you count Underwood twice, and we never got this done, and I really appreciate you doing this.”

Reid-Smith said the murals will be allegorical, interpreting liberty, justice, commerce and education – as well as historical, depicting Harpers Ferry in 1859, the Battle of Philippi, an arts celebration at Seneca Rocks and an historic state compilation.

The State Seal is depicted in a mural.

*Photo Credit: WV Governor’s Office*

“It will be an interpretation of the state seal,” Reid-Smith said. “In this you’ll see Abraham Lincoln and Arthur I. Borman, Francis Pierpont, and you’ll see scenes of Wheeling and Charleston.”

The murals will be installed at the third floor level of the Rotunda. The installation process will be phased, with four lunettes (semi-circular spaces above doorways) being completed first, followed by four pendentives (curved triangular sections supporting a dome).

In a press release from Justice, a detailed construction schedule was laid out to ensure the work is completed efficiently and with minimal disruption to the public.

Construction Schedule:

April 1: Installation begins with the “Battle of Philippi Bridge” and “State Seal” lunettes.
June 3: Installation continues with the “Shivaree of Seneca Rock” and “Harpers Ferry 1859” lunettes.
Aug. 5: Work begins on the first two pendentives.
Sept. 16: Work continues on the remaining two pendentives.
Nov. 12: Scaffolding dismantled and removed from the site.

Reid-Smith said the first two of the murals will be dedicated on June 20, West Virginia’s 161st birthday.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of November 2024.

For more than 85 years, the West Virginia Capitol building has housed the iconic crystal chandelier, illuminating the rotunda for generations of lawmakers and visitors who pass below — its presence a fixture in the statehouse.

But now, it’s been taken down.

Time and water damage has taken its toll over the years, corroding the wires that support the Capitol’s inner dome, making it sag. It’s not obvious, but the inner dome is actually a false ceiling suspended from cables, hanging between the main dome and the four thousand pound chandelier below.

“Part of the problem we’ve had with the dome; water as it rains does not necessarily stay on the outside of the dome,” noted John Myers, Secretary to the West Virginia Department of Administration, “It does come into the interior part. But there are drains made to take that water away; over a period of 60, 80, 100 years, those drains have deteriorated to the point that water is now leaking into the interior dome.”

A company called Acu-Bright specializes in chandelier cleaning and restoration. They’ve been charged to care for the fixture until it can be returned to its home under the dome.

“We’re gonna take off all the crystal panels; protect them, pack them up; take the framework apart, then we’re gonna take the inside of the body where all the lights and the framework that holds the lights out; then we’re gonna remove the column, take all those brass pieces out, take down the pipe, so now it’s ready for people to put up the scaffolding, and nothing will get damaged,” explained Keith Campbell, owner of Acu-Bright.

The crystal in the rotunda chandelier is known as Czechoslovakian crystal; a high quality glass that’s known for its brilliance but also lead content. The base component in crystal is silica, the same as in regular glass — but crystal is partially composed of lead oxide. This gives it greater clarity and sparkle.

The age and uniqueness of the rotunda chandelier’s more than ten thousand pieces make repair and replacement almost impossible.

“You just can’t get parts for these types of fixtures anymore,” Campbell noted.

Once Campbell’s team is done dismantling and packing up the chandelier, it will be transported to an undisclosed location where it will be examined, cleaned, rewired and stored until its return in two years.

Secretary Myers says the main rotunda will eventually be blocked off and scaffolding will be erected so that restoration can begin.

So for now, the rotunda is dark, lit by only a few work lights and scattered beams of sunlight from the porticoes above.

Below, lawmakers pass underneath, occasionally glancing up into the void where the chandelier used to be.

Special Thanks to John Myers, Secretary to the Department of Administration; Keith Campbell, President of Acu-Bright; William Barry, General Service Division; Diane Holley-Brown, Director of Communications, Department of Administration; and Perry Bennett, West Virginia Legislative Photography.

Tag: Rotunda

Historic, Inspirational Murals To Adorn State Capitol Rotunda

Iconic Rotunda Chandelier Dismantled for Dome Restoration