1776 Grounds Maintenance

About 1776 Grounds Maintenance

Before the state workers' cars start filling the lots downtown, 1776 Grounds Maintenance is already on the walks around the Capitol, working under a building whose tower is usually the first thing to catch daylight over Lincoln. Salt goes down first on the marble steps, then the crew works the wide plaza paths in sections so no one crossing to work catches an icy patch underfoot. The wind funnels hard between downtown's taller buildings this time of year, dragging fresh drift back across a path that was clear ten minutes before. Getting every step and landing bare before the building opens for the day carries its own quiet weight, given how many people cross that plaza in a single morning. By the time the dome's sower statue catches full sun, the crew has moved on to the next block, leaving the Capitol's approach dry underfoot for whoever comes next.