The United States Capitol Historical Society (USCHS) hung one of its acclaimed marble ornaments on the Capitol Christmas Tree on Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 ahead of the 55th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony.
The earliest record of a Christmas Tree in the Capitol Complex dates from 1919, but the process was not formalized until Speaker of the House John McCormack requested that Architect of the Capitol George Stewart place one on the grounds in 1964. The live Douglas Fir that was planted that year saw four Christmases before numerous factors forced the Architect’s office to acquire a new tree annually. Since 1970, the U.S. Forest Service has provided the Capitol with an evergreen tree from national forests throughout the country. The 2019 tree is a 60 foot Blue Spruce from Carson National Forest in New Mexico.
For more than 20 years, USCHS has donated one of its annual holiday ornaments to decorate the tree. The 2019 ornament features a replica of the east front of the Capitol Building made from historic Capitol marble (donated to the Society after the 1995 renovation of the east front steps) and the famous preamble phrase “We the People of the United States” embossed in the background.
A fine addition to any tree, the 2019 Marble Ornament is available for purchase through the USCHS Gift Shop.
