The creation of the National Statuary Hall Collection was authorized by the United States Congress in 1864 to allow each State to provide two statues of notable citizens for display in the United States Capitol. The Joint Committee on the Library of Congress has oversight of the collection, and, under the committee's direction, the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is responsible for the reception, placement, and care of the statues.
In accordance with legislation enacted in 2000, "Any State may request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has provided for display in Statuary Hall" under two conditions:
(A) the request has been approved by a resolution adopted by the legislature of the State and the request has been approved by the Governor of the State, and
(B) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the Capitol of the United States for at least 10 years as of the time the request is made, except that the Joint Committee may waive this requirement for cause at the request of a State.
Building the National Statuary Hall Collection
Steps in the Procedure
Responsibilities of the State.
The State legislature enacts a resolution that identifies the statue to be replaced, names the individual to be newly commemorated and cites his or her qualifications, selects a committee or commission to represent the State in selecting the sculptor, and directs the method of obtaining the necessary funds to carry the resolution into effect. Expenditures for which the State is responsible include the cost of paying the sculptor for designing and carving or casting the statue; designing and fabricating the pedestal; transporting the statue and pedestal to the United States Capitol; removing and transporting the replaced statue; temporarily erecting the new statue on its pedestal in the location approved for the unveiling ceremony; certain expenses related to the unveiling ceremony; and any other expenses that the State commission may find it necessary to incur.
Request to Replace a Statue.
A duly authorized State official, typically the governor, shall submit to the Architect of the Capitol a written request to provide a new statue, a description of the location in the State where the replaced statue will be displayed after it is transferred, and a copy of the applicable enacted State legislation authorizing the replacement. The Architect of the Capitol will review the request for completeness and will forward it to the Joint Committee on the Library.
Joint Committee on the Library Action.
The Joint Committee on the Library will approve or deny the request.
Agreement Regarding Replacement.
If the request is approved by the Joint Committee on the Library, the Architect of the Capitol will formalize an agreement with the State to guide the process. The agreement consists of the State’s commitment to follow the guidelines for the design and fabrication of statues (see below) and to take responsibility for any cost related to the design, construction, transportation, and placement of the new statue; the removal and transportation of the statue being replaced; and any unveiling ceremony. The agreement is between the Architect of the Capitol and the State. If the State authorizes a commission, foundation, or other entity to act upon its behalf in subsequent parts of the process, the governor must so notify the Architect of the Capitol in writing.
Approval of Maquette.
The State or its representative shall submit to the Architect of the Capitol, for review and final approval by the Joint Committee on the Library, photographs of the maquette from all four sides and the proposed dimensions of the completed statue.
Approval of Full-Size Clay Model and Pedestal Design, Including Proposed Inscription.
The State shall submit to the Architect of the Capitol, for review and final approval by the Joint Committee on the Library, photographs of the model from all four sides, dimensions, engineering drawings of the pedestal, the anticipated weight of the completed statue and pedestal, and the text of any proposed inscriptions. Any structural, safety, and design concerns will need to be addressed before final approval.
Approval of Completed Statue, Cast in Bronze or Carved in Marble, and Completed Pedestal.
The State shall submit to the Architect of the Capitol, for review and final approval by the Joint Committee on the Library, photographs of the completed statue and pedestal from all four sides, dimensions, the final weight, and the text of any inscriptions.
Ceremony and Program.
The holding of an unveiling ceremony is optional. Permission to use the Rotunda or Emancipation Hall must be granted by concurrent resolution of the Congress, and legislation by the Congress is required to authorize printing of the proceedings at government expense. The State may contact its delegation in Congress for assistance and for introduction of the required legislation. Although no law requires the Congress to accept statues by formal resolution, it is recommended that acceptance of the statue by the Congress be included in the legislation introduced for the use of the Rotunda or Emancipation Hall for the unveiling ceremony. The State must arrange the program for the ceremony with the Speaker of the House, who will ensure that congressional participation is bipartisan and bicameral and that the program concludes in a reasonable time. The Architect of the Capitol provides support for any unveiling ceremony.
Statue Removal/Installation and Ownership Transfer.
The State must arrange for a rigger approved by the Architect of the Capitol to remove the replaced statue and install the replacement statue in the location of its unveiling. This work must be coordinated with the Architect of the Capitol. The replaced statue must be removed shortly before the new statue is brought into the Capitol. Before the replaced statue is removed, a document transferring ownership of that statue from the federal government to the State will be signed by the designated State official.
Permanent Location.
The permanent location for the replacement statue will be approved by the Joint Committee on the Library. The National Statuary Hall collection is located in several areas of the Capitol: National Statuary Hall (the Old Hall of the House), the Rotunda, the second-floor House and Senate corridors, the Hall of Columns, the Crypt, and the Capitol Visitor Center. T he Architect of the Capitol will make recommendations for placement of the new statue with the least possible disruption to previously placed statues while maintaining a harmonious arrangement. To assist in developing this recommendation, the agency’s structural engineer will determine whether the f loor in any proposed location can safely support the weight of the statue. If the replacement statue is suitable in weight and dimensions, it will normally take the place of the replaced statue. If not, the Architect of the Capitol will, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library and with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts as requested, relocate statues within the Capitol. If necessary, after the statue has been unveiled, the Architect of the Capitol will be responsible for moving it to the permanent location approved by the Joint Committee on the Library.
Guidelines for Replacement Statues
The guidelines below are provided for reference only; they may be modified in particular cases by the Joint Committee on the Library. Images of the statues now in the collection are available at the Architect of the Capitol website (www.aoc.gov).
Subject. The subject of the statue must be a deceased person who was a citizen of the United States and is illustrious for historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services. Statues may represent only one individual (ruling adopted by the Joint Committee on the Library at meeting of March 13, 1950). Statues should represent the full length.
Material. The statue must be made of marble or bronze. Replacement statues made of the same material as the replaced statue are preferred. Materials from domestic sources, including, as applicable, sources in the territories and possessions of the United States, are preferred.
Pedestal. To reduce weight, the Architect of the Capitol recommends that the pedestal be made of a hollow steel frame faced in granite or other stone or be made of bronze. It is recommended that the pedestal be designed and constructed with a removable panel (usually in the back) to allow access to attachment bolts. The pedestal design, dimensions, and weight must be submitted to the Architect of the Capitol for review.
Inscriptions. Inscriptions on the pedestal should include the name of the State and of the individual represented. The preferred option is that inscriptions be carved. Alternatively, they can be raised or cast on a bronze plaque. It is traditional and preferred that inscriptions be simple and that they appear only on the front of the pedestal. The proposed inscription should be submitted for review and approval by the Joint Committee on the Library as part of the pedestal design.
Size and Weight. In general, the figure in the replacement statue should be over life size, with a height between seven and eight feet, and the total height, including the pedestal, no greater than eleven feet. Within that size range, the combined weight of a bronze statue and its pedestal should not exceed 5,000 pounds; a marble statue and its pedestal should weigh no more than 10,000 pounds.
Patina and Coating. For bronze statues, the selected patina and coating must be easily maintained and repaired. Formulas for the patinating and coating materials must be provided to the Architect of the Capitol for use during future maintenance.
Other Considerations. The statue and pedestal should not be a potential source of safety hazards. They should not have any protruding or sharp element that could cause harm or be an obstacle for persons in the building.
Relevant Legislation
The law creating National Statuary Hall is the act of July 2, 1864 (2 U.S.C. §2131) (formerly 40 U.S.C. 187), which established that each State had the right to donate "statues, in marble or bronze, not exceeding two in number for each State, of deceased persons who have been citizens thereof, and illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services . . . ."
This law was modified in 2000 by Sec. 311 of H.R. 5657 (included by reference in H.R. 4577) and established as law by P.L. 106-554, which provides that "Any state may request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has provided for display in Statuary Hall in the Capitol of the United States . . . ." 2 U.S.C. §2132.
Excerpt From Public Law 106-554
SEC. 311. (a) (1) Any State may request the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress to approve the replacement of a statue the State has provided for display in Statuary Hall in the Capitol of the United States under section 1814 of the Revised Statutes (40 U.S.C. 187).
(2) A request shall be considered under paragraph (1) only if—
(A) the request has been approved by a resolution adopted by the legislature of the State and the request has been approved by the Governor of the State, and
(B) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the Capitol of the United States for at least 10 years as of the time the request is made, except that the Joint Committee may waive this requirement for cause at the request of a State.
(b) If the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress approves a request under subsection (a), the Architect of the Capitol shall enter into an agreement with the State to carry out the replacement in accordance with the request and any conditions the Joint Committee may require for its approval. Such agreement shall provide that—
(1) the new statue shall be subject to the same conditions and restrictions as apply to any statue provided by a State under section 1814 of the Revised Statutes (40 U.S.C. 187), and
(2) the State shall pay any costs related to the replacement, including costs in connection with the design, construction, transportation, and placement of the new statue, the removal and transportation of the statue being replaced, and any unveiling ceremony.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to permit a State to have more than two statues on display in the Capitol of the United States.
(d) (1) Subject to the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library, ownership of any statue replaced under this section shall be transferred to the State.
(2) If any statue is removed from the Capitol of the United States as part of a transfer of ownership under paragraph (1), then it may not be returned to the Capitol for display unless such display is specifically authorized by Federal law.
(e) The Architect of the Capitol, upon the approval of the Joint Committee on the Library and with the advice of the Commission of Fine Arts as requested, is authorized and directed to relocate within the United States Capitol any of the statues received from the States under section 1814 of the Revised Statutes (40 U.S.C. 187) prior to the date of the enactment of this Act, and to provide for the reception, location, and relocation of the statues received hereafter from the States under such section.
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