Statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol dome

The Statue of Freedom is a bronze sculpture by Thomas Crawford installed atop the U.S. Capitol dome on December 2, 1863. The figure measures approximately 19.5 feet in height and was cast in bronze in 1862 before being hoisted to the dome as a crowning exterior installation. It remains the Capitol’s principal exterior statuary element and a documented part of the building’s architectural completion during the Civil War.