The Statue of Freedom stands at the very top of the dome of the Capitol, where Congress meets in Washington, D.C. The dome, with its statue, is a symbol recognized all over the world. Thomas Crawford, an American sculptor, created the Statue of Freedom in clay in a studio in Rome, Italy. A plaster model was cast in five major sections and shipped in crates to the United States. After various mishaps, the crates arrived in Washington, D.C., in March 1859. An Italian craftsman assembled the huge plaster model of Freedom for all to see while the Capitol dome moved toward completion. This craftsman, however, refused to reveal how to take the model apart for transport to the bronze foundry. He wanted more money to finish the job. Philip Reid, a black laborer, was called upon to figure out how to disassemble the sculpture into its five large sections without breaking it. In this article, the author provides the details of how the Statue of Freedom was created and the contribution made by Philip Reid to the historical task.