LADY FREEDOM SHINES
Today in 1993, the replacement of the Statue of Freedom Ceremony took place in Washington DC with many dignitaries and 25,000-30,000 people in attendance. Clarence J. Brown, President of the United States Capitol Historical Society referred to the Statue of Freedom as the Lady of Freedom. He then went on to explain about her removal in May of 1993 for restoration, and that it took just under 5 months to complete at a cost of about $780,000. She had been on top of the Capitol since 1863 - the time of the Civil War. The sky crane lifted the cage containing the Statue of Freedom and delivered her safely to the dome of the Capitol. Workmen immediately began to bolt her down. The engines soon quieted, and a round of applause followed as President of the United States, William Clinton, and Hillary Rodham Clinton shook hands with the crew.
Master of Ceremony, Historian and Author, David McCullough commenced the celebration with the following introduction: “Mr. President, Ladies & Gentlemen, my name is David McCullough. On this magnificent morning at this historic place, at Latitude 38 degrees, 53 minutes N, Longitude 77 degrees W on the hill above the Potomac, we are gathered to celebrate the Bicentennial of the best known, the most important, and the most revered structure in our nation, the U. S. Capitol. We are Americans and for us this is a proud day, for this great building holds a place in our hearts and in our way of life like no other. It is a shrine on a hill, and it is the national stage upon which are enacted the difficult tasks and continuing drama of representative government, the bedrock of our faith in the Land of the Free. Freedom is why we are here - Freedom is why, America. And at the summit of the dome now, there in sunshine, the emblem of Freedom is again in her place. Older by a generation than the Statue of Liberty, she has stood on high since the year 1863, since the autumn of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. She has weathered a Civil War, and two World Wars. She has seen the death of Presidents, the Great Depression, the sky turned dark by prairie dust blown from half a continent away. She has been pelted by sleet and snow and struck by lightning. And she has seen triumphant times, good times, lots of good times. Never has she looked better than today, October 23, 1993 – all newly, thoroughly refurbished, ready for another 200 years or more. And never, ever, has our Capitol looked better than today, not ever before in all of its days.”
On September 22, 2018, the Architect of the Capitol reported that the Statue of Freedom was, once again, to be refurbished and maintained in order to prepare for the tri-annual inspection and preservation efforts of the statue. The work is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
May she shine for many.
Taken from: Highlights/notes from video of replacement of the Statue of Freedom October 23, 1993 ceremony - Transcribed by Donna-Lynn Yon
Article Title,
Lady Freedom Shines
Authors
Katya Miller, Kristen Farquhar
Photographer
Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images
Website Name
Katya Miller • Author • Beloved Freedom