One of Atlanta’s true landmarks, though often overlooked when people name their favorite buildings in the city, the Georgia Capitol is getting some props on its 120th anniversary.
The Friends of Georgia Archives and History has released its sixth annual Christmas ornament celebrating the historic edifice. The ornament highlights one of the Gold Dome’s most identifiable features: the gilded dome itself.
The ornament – $20 or $100 for the set of six – benefits state archives and capitol museum educational programs, exhibits and publications on Georgia history, as well as the state's historic flag collection. (Information: www.fogah.org .)
Meanwhile, the capitol is featured in Fernbank Museum of Natural History's new exhibit "Georgia's Heart of Gold," a show of 41 photographs showcasing the history and influence of gold in the state. A photo by Portfolio Center student Artem Nazarov captures the capitol with a golden glow at dusk. On view through Jan. 3, the exhibit dovetails with a larger Fernbank show, "Gold," featuring golden artifacts, jewelry, nuggets and awards. (Information: www.fernbankmuseum.org .)
Designed to resemble the U.S. Capitol in Washington, the dome opened in 1889 on a hill that had been the site of Atlanta’s city hall, symbolizing Georgia’s return to the union. In 1958, residents of Dahlonega, site of the first U.S. gold rush, donated gold to gild the capitol. The next year, the gold was applied to the dome in a layer 1/5,000th of an inch thick.
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