Hartford, CT
Connecticut State Capitol, Genius of Connecticut
Scope/Solutions
The Genius of Connecticut, a statue designed by Randolph Rogers, stood atop the Capitol from 1878 until 1938 when it was damaged during a hurricane. The governor then donated the statue to the federal government to be melted down for the WWII effort. In 2005, the state elected to commission a replica statue from the original, full-size plaster model. SGH supported the proposed reinstallation of the Genius by investigating the condition of the cupola and evaluating the feasibility of mounting the replica statue to the existing structure.
SGH researched the original construction and obtained copies of the original drawings prepared by Richard M. Upjohn from the Avery Library at Columbia University. We used industrial rope access to inspect the exterior of the cupola and perform nondestructive testing to collect information about the concealed construction. With this information, we validated the information in the archival drawings and documented repairs and modifications.
Using the information collected during our research and survey, SGH analyzed the existing structure to determine its ability to support the replica statue. We determined the cupola’s self-weight provides sufficient resistance to overturning due to wind, but would not satisfy current seismic requirements.
SGH provided conceptual options for upgrading the structure and retained Consigli Construction to develop preliminary cost estimates to help the state plan for this project. They are currently trying to raise the funds needed to resurrect the statue.
Project Summary
2009
Key team members
