THE PROCESS OF TURNING HISTORY INTO HEIRLOOMS
As the Naval Academy moves forward with installing new Chapel dome copper that will stand for decades, the historic copper that has stood watch over generations of Naval Academy alumni will now be repurposed into an array of memorabilia that will allow those alumni to bring a piece of Naval Academy history into their homes or gift one to others.
The old copper on the dome will be removed, in sections, and eventually completely replaced. The new copper, which will have a bright shiny copper finish at first, will within a few weeks turn a darker brown. From there it will be about 20 to 25 years before the new copper will take on its own individual aqua-green patina.
The picture to the right is a rendering of what the Chapel dome will look like after the copper has been replaced.
Learn more about the history of the dome »
The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association has partnered with Herff Jones, a nationally recognized provider of class rings and memorabilia, for this historic endeavor.
The entire restoration project, which began in November 2019, will take approximately one year to complete.
The new dome, will have a bright shiny copper finish at first, will within a few weeks turn a darker brown. From there it will be about 20 to 25 years before the new copper will take on its own individual aqua green patina.
