Published Sunday, July 05, 2009

120 years of history under the gold dome

Editorial

One of the most beautiful and most famous sites on the skyline of downtown Atlanta is the gold-domed Georgia State Capitol at 206 Washington St. The building is near the intersection of Interstate 20 and the Interstate 75/85 downtown connector. Come into the city from any of these thoroughfares and you will see the golden edifice. The site is particularly beautiful at night as lights reflect from the golden dome.

While the Georgia Capitol is one of the most recognized buildings in Atlanta, many Georgians may not know the history of the structure. Wednesday will mark the Capitol's 120th anniversary, and our governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state are planning a celebration that day in the building's rotunda.

The observance will include a big birthday cake, tours of the historic building and a birthday-card signing for Miss Freedom. She's the statue that tops the building's gold dome.

If you have not visited the Capitol -- or haven't been there in a long time -- Wednesday's festivities would be a worthwhile experience. This facility, which is reminiscent of the U.S. Capitol Building, dates back to 1889.

In addition to the well-known gold dome -- the gold came from Dahlonega -- the inside of the Georgia Capitol contains a lot of Georgia marble. Indeed, the building is beautiful and rich in history. There's history aplenty under that gold dome.

A tour for you and your family would make a wonderful close-to-home outing this summer.