Work to regild Notre Dame’s Golden Dome in earliest stages

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - Work is officially underway to add another layer of gold leaf to the University of Notre Dame’s iconic centerpiece building.

On Monday, crews began installing an extensive scaffold system that will allow them to regild the Golden Dome atop the university’s Main Building for the first time in nearly two decades. The project was announced earlier this month, but the university wanted to wait until after commencement weekend to start it.

The university says this will be the 12th time the dome and the 17-foot-tall statue of the Virgin Mary have undergone this process since they were added to the Main Building in 1883. The dome was regilded previously in 1886, 1893, 1904, 1912, 1924, 1933, 1948, 1961, 1971, 1988, and 2005.

In addition to regilding the dome, the university says the upper tower of the Main Building will be cleaned and repainted.

Work is expected to be completed by mid-October.

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