Wikipedia defines a dome as "a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere."
If you happen to be a resident of York, Lancaster or Harrisburg, a dome is a defining feature of your skyline. Three distinctly different domes top three important governmental buildings in these communities.
The Lancaster County Court House, which was constructed in 1854 and expanded in 1898, features the oldest of the domes. Resting on twelve columns, the copper dome includes four clock faces, a 1,034 pound bell, and a bronze statue of justice added in 1929. The original statue of justice was carved of wood.
While the design of the Classical Revival building was inspired by the Tennessee State Capitol, I am unsure which building, if any, provided design inspiration for the dome. The architect for the original portion of the courthouse was Samuel Sloan, a noted 19th century Philadelphia architect who published several successful books on architecture.
The York County Court House was designed by York's most prominent architect, J.A. Dempwolf, and constructed in 1898-1899. The project began as an expansion to an earlier courthouse, but essentially resulted in a totally new building. Dempwolf's design included three domes, with the main central dome rising to a height of 155-feet above street level.
The design inspiration for the domes of the Beaux-Arts York County Court House was the duomo, or cathedral, in Florence, Italy. All three domes are steel framed and clad in hard burned terra cotta in a reddish-orange color. The smaller domes feature cupolas while the main dome is crowned with a more distinctive cupola with bell - the very same cupola that stood atop the previous courthouse, which was built in 1841. The main dome also features paired columns and four illuminated clock faces.
The "newest" of the three domes is the one that stands atop the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building in Harrisburg. The building was constructed between 1902 and 1906 in the Beaux-Arts style with heavy Italian Renaissance influence. Joseph Huston was the project architect, and he competed in a design competition to win the commission. In 1898, Huston toured Europe with his brother; unfortunately, his brother became quite ill from a ruptured appendix, and he spent several weeks in a hospital in Rome. While his brother recuperated, Huston toured Rome and sketched the notable buildings, including St. Peter's Basilica - this building would become his inspiration for design of the Pennsylvania State Capitol.
The main dome of the building draws heavy influence from St. Peter's Basilica. The massive dome weighs 52-million pounds and stands 254 feet above the first floor. The dome features paired Corinthian columns and the gilded Statue of the Commonwealth crowns the dome. The familiar green roof of the dome is actually red clay terra-cotta tile, covered with a green glaze. Smaller domes, approximately 1/3 the size of the main dome, stand atop the wings of the Capitol Building.
Perhaps the most famous dome in the United States is that of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. Like Dempwolf and Huston, the architect of the dome (Thomas Walter, who designed the county courthouse in West Chester) drew inspiration from European cathedrals, in this case the domes of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and the Pantheon in Paris.
Domes are a distinctive architectural feature, and central Pennsylvania skylines are made more attractive by their presence.
For more information on domes and cupolas, and towers and turrets, click here.
