The Golden Dome

Charles Bulfinch designed the dome which crowns the State House, but when it was built, the dome was not gold—it was shingled! In just a few years, the dome began to leak in rain and snow, so the company of Paul Revere was hired to cover the dome with copper to make it watertight. Later, in 1872, the dome was gilded with real gold leaf, and, as you know, still glows with gold today.

At the very top of the dome is a sculpture carved of wood. Many people think it is a pineapple, but it is not. It is a pine cone, put there to remind everyone of the importance of the pine trees which provided wood to build our houses, churches and commercial buildings. The wood for the State House came from the northern part of Massachusetts, which, in 1820, became the state of Maine.