WASHINGTON – The United States Capitol on Friday welcomed the arrival of its Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.
The 4,500-pound tree is named “Silver Belle.”
“We thought that it embodied the spirit of the Silver State, and she was so pretty,” said Jon Stansfield, the forest supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, said.
James Kaufmann, the executive director at the Architect of the Capitol, hosted the event on the Capitol’s West Front lawn. He picked out the tree.
The tree was harvested on Oct. 24. Kaufmann worked with the Carson Ranger District to find the perfect specimen, one with a conical shape and hearty branches that would hold the thousands of ornaments handmade by Nevada residents.
Stansfield said he asked for 10,000 ornaments. Out of excitement, the Nevadans provided 23,000 ornaments.
The decorated Christmas tree will be illuminated in an early December ceremony on the Capitol’s West Lawn. The tree will be lit every night from dusk until 11 p.m. into early January.
“On behalf of the employees of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, we hope Silver Belle stands as a symbol of unity, joy, and the gift that is America’s public lands,” Stansfield said.
The tradition of displaying a tree on the Capitol’s lawn dates to 1964, when a modest 24-foot fir was put up at the suggestion of then-House Speaker John W. McCormack, D-Massachusetts. The U.S. Forest Service has been supplying the trees, chosen from one of the nation’s 154 national forests, since 1970.
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