As you enter the museum at the Ohio Statehouse, there is one breathtaking item that will draw your eye right in. It’s this gorgeous piece of stained glass that’s backlit and positively glowing.
This Seal of Ohio hung in the Rotunda dome from the 1920s until it was taken down in sixties. When it was decided to renovate the Ohio Statehouse in 1989, it was found stored in a closet inside a men’s room in the Senate Building.
Thankfully, someone saw value in it and had it restored. It became part of the Statehouse Museum in 1996.
This piece is huge and the colors are vibrant. I’m so grateful someone prioritized it’s restoration for a new generation to enjoy. I’m also glad they decided to use it in the museum rather than back in the dome, where it would be too high to appreciate. To give you some perspective, the center of the dome is where this once hung. It’s 120 feet high. I zoomed in a good bit for this picture.
Here’s one more view.
That belongs back in the dome!!!
I do wonder why it was removed in the first place but am glad to have it in a place where people can actually see and appreciate it. From the floor, it would look like a small saucer of colors and nothing more. It isn’t original to the building and I recall the tour guide said they restored the dome to its original state.
It is a beautiful piece!
It’s mesmerizing in person. A true highlight of the day.