''Commonwealth'' is a

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was trad ...

statue atop the dome of the

Pennsylvania State Capitol The Pennsylvania State Capitol is the seat of government for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania located in downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultura ...

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

. It is nicknamed Miss Penn and the Spirit of the Commonwealth. It is also sometimes called Letitia, after the daughter of

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy an ...

, the assumed inspiration for the statue.

Description

''Commonwealth'' is the "symbolic embodiment" of a

commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with " republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from th ...

. It stands on a diameter globe and holds a staff, to symbolize justice, in its left hand. The staff is topped with a

garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. Etymology From the ...

and an eagle with outstretched wings. Its right arm is eternally extended in

benediction A benediction ( Latin: ''bene'', well + ''dicere'', to speak) is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service. It can also refer to a specific Christian religious service including the exposit ...

and blessing of the state.

History

''Commonwealth'' was sculpted by

Roland Hinton Perry Roland Hinton Perry (January 25, 1870 – October 27, 1941)"New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WRL-TLD : 20 March 2015), Roland Perry, 27 Oct 1941; citing Death, ...

and was installed on the dome on May 25, 1905. The statue was removed for restoration by helicopter in the summer of 1998. The statue was placed back onto the dome by Skycrane in September of the same year, after restoration. ''Commonwealth'' is shown on the Pennsylvania state quarter, released in 1999.

References

{{coord, 40.26435, -76.88356, type:landmark_region:US-PA, display=title 1905 sculptures Allegorical sculptures in Pennsylvania Outdoor sculptures in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex Sculptures by Roland Hinton Perry Sculptures of birds in the United States Personifications of country subdivisions