Once, I mistakenly wrote that Colorado was the only state to boast a gold-plated Capitol dome. Quickly I learned that 10 other states, among them our neighbors Nebraska and Wyoming, also have gold domes.
So there’s nothing unique about ours, which was just named to the 2010 list of “most endangered places” by Colorado Preservation, Inc., a non-profit group that tries to save significant old structures.
The Capitol’s cornerstone was laid in 1890. The dome was originally clad in copper, but its luster soon dimmed, and so in 1908 it was covered with 200 ounces of 24-karat gold leaf. The gold has been refurbished several times since then.
These days, our state can’t afford a new coat. So what should we do?
There’s no requirement that the cast-iron structure be gilded. The U.S. Capitol dome just gets white paint.
But Colorado has a mineral heritage — note the crossed hammer and pick on our state seal — and so we might consider another metal. Our state has produced many, from antimony to zinc.
For decades, Colorado was the world’s leading producer of molybdenum, which has a silvery blue luster. It would be appropriate and attractive. However, that metal is not nearly as ductile as gold. So the coating would have to be thick, and the metallic layer would likely weigh too much to be supported by the rusting cast iron beneath it.
Colorado has also produced millions of tons of lead. It’s heavy, but like gold, it can be rolled into thin sheets. A layer of lead would protect our legislators from those brain-damaging cosmic rays that may explain proposed bills like the regulation of school mascots or the “Public School Religious Bill of Rights.”
Sensible as that may be, though, lead has such a toxic reputation that it’s a non-starter. We’re stuck with gold. How do we pay for it?
We might persuade investors to buy it for us. The major sponsors of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh broadcasts are companies that sell gold.
If you buy gold, you need a safe place to store it, and that can be complicated when you’re hedging against the collapse of civilization. Colorado could offer to sell gold to these paranoid patriots, along with free storage on the Capitol dome.
Subject to normal wear, the dome would be a safe storage site. Thousands of people would notice if thieves climbed up there to scrape it off, and they would be easy targets for public-spirited sharpshooters.
Further, New Jersey has a gilded dome on its capitol. If that gold hasn’t been stolen yet, surely gold would be safe in Colorado.
There’s another way to raise the $15 million or so that it will take to put the shine back on the dome: Sell the naming rights.
A logical buyer would be Colorado’s leading gold producer, AngloGold Ashanti, which operates the Cresson Mine near Victor. “Cresson Dome” has a pleasant sound. Plus, we’d be using Colorado gold; the last gold foil came from Italy.
But it’s not the only contender. Think what a marketing coup it would be for South Dakota if it became the “Black Hills Gold Cupola.”
“Qwest Gilding on the Capitol Building” rhymes and would complement the city’s dominant downtown night light.
Or, since the official mile-high marker in the Mile High City is on the Capitol steps, why not see how much we could get for “Invesco Dome at Mile High”? Granted, it sounds awkward. But there is a precedent.
Ed Quillen (ekquillen@gmail.com) of Salida is a regular contributor to The Denver Post.
