Kentucky Capitol rotunda closed for repairs

The Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Abraham Lincoln's in a wooden box. So is Jefferson Davis and two other statues of prominent figures in Kentucky history.

Visitors to the state Capitol won't see much of the building's ornate rotunda. It's closed for repairs until next year in preparation for the Capitol's 100th anniversary.

"The rotunda has not had a comprehensive restoration - including painting, patching, marble cleaning and lighting restoration - since about 1955," David Buchta, state curator and director of historic properties, told The Courier-Journal of Louisville. "With a building as significant as the Capitol, we feel it's very important that it be protected and preserved."

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The rotunda is a focal point of the state Capitol and sits directly beneath its 174-feet dome. Workers have enclosed in wooden boxes the statues of Lincoln, Davis, Alben Barkley and Ephraim McDowell. They're building scaffolding to reach the rotunda's ceiling.

It's being patched and painted, and the marble is being cleaned, its lights restored. Four chandeliers have been removed and are being restored, Buchta said.

The $450,000 project is scheduled to be finished by Jan. 1.

Former Gov. Paul Patton envisioned a major Capitol renovation in the late 1990s, but officials have done renovations in smaller projects because of state revenue problems.

Funds have been budgeted for the project since 2006, Buchta said. Gov. Steve Beshear's administration went ahead with the project this year, despite tough money problems, because the maintenance is needed and the funds were available, he said.

"Beyond the fact that the rotunda needed maintenance, we wanted to do something very special for the Capitol building for its centennial anniversary," Buchta said. "The Capitol is going to have to be completely restored. We felt if we restore the center, we can work out from there."

State Rep. Bob Damron, a Nicholasville Democrat, said he thinks the project is necessary even though the state is currently strapped for cash.

"You've got to maintain what you've got," Damron said. "Obviously, that's our most important building."