What is the overall height of the Dome?
On the exterior from the first floor to the top of the finial above the cupola is 145 feet. On the interior from the first floor to the underside of the dome at the gilded medallion is 105 feet. The diameter of the dome base at the decorative cornice is 26 feet. When was the Dome built? The current structure was built in 1889 after a fire in 1885 destroyed the previous 80 foot dome built in c. 1845. Who was the architect of the Dome? The architect was Lewis Broome (1849-1927) of Jersey City, New Jersey. What style is the Dome? The Dome is executed in the French Academic Classical style with Roman motifs. The classical order of the columns is the Composite style which consists of a combination of the Ionic scrolls at the upper portion of the capital and the Corinthian acanthus leaves at the lower portion of the capital. Why was cast iron used in the construction of the Rotunda? Cast iron was used at the base of the drum base of the Dome because at the time it was a more economical mater
