The Massachusetts State House is getting a facelift, a $20.3 million one.
The State House has been without significant repair for the last decade, according to The Boston Globe.
Workers from the firm Simpson Gumpertz & Heger have been hired by the state to begin work to make up for lost time, officials announced Thursday.
As any building deteriorates and falls into disrepair with age, the State House’s golden dome and cupola have seen better days.
A brown line runs along part of the golden dome and just last year an 8-foot column broke away from the cupola, forcing it to be held together with orange bracing and chicken wire.
Although the dome’s gold leaf from far away still creates an overall shining impression, officials said there is “general staining” on the top third of the dome. There are also general spots of dirt and grime.
Workers were photographed rappelling down the dome on Thursday, which was then posted by the State House News Service. This work was a part of the “initial condition assessment,” according to reports.
This current stage of the project, which was called the planning and study phase, will last until at least next spring, according to officials.
“There is a desire to confirm that the structural integrity,” read part of a statement.
In 2013, the State House’s repairs also included adding lightning rods to the building, which cost the state $400,000. In 1997, the dome was regilded for $300,000, a far cry from the $36,000 cost in 1969.
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