Declaration Under the Dome – 16 February 2026

Thomas Jefferson and Cavman held the floor Monday in the Dome Room of the University of Virginia’s Rotunda, throwing fist bumps and high-fives and standing for selfies as hundreds of guests filed in. But the star of the show was a nearly 250-year-old original copy of the Declaration of Independence.

The Charlottesville branch of the ESU continues to support organizations with similar missions and members participated in this celebration.  

An estimated 2,000 people, from fourth graders to senior citizens, formed a line outside the Rotunda for a chance to view the “McGregor Dunlap broadside” copy of the declaration, one of two in the University Library’s Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. The copies are among just 26 originals known to still exist.

The McGregor Dunlap broadside is generally off display and secured in the library’s vault, preserving it for future generations of researchers. Another copy is on permanent display in the “Declaring Independence” exhibition in the Small Special Collections Library. UVA is the only place in the world with two copies and on this day, it was possible to view both copies.

The four-hour “Declaration Under the Dome” program included speeches from VIPs, including UVA President Scott C. Beardsley, ESU Member and Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Strategic Initiatives in the office of the Interim President of UVA Mary Kate Cary, 5th District Congressman John McGuire, and Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade.   It also included musical performances, quick educational seminars, readings, giveaways and red, white and blue cupcakes. It was all part of the ongoing UVA250 celebration.

“We are here to reflect on the enduring power of this extraordinary document as well as the founding of this extraordinary country – the United States of America – and this extraordinary university, the University of Virginia,” UVA President Scott C. Beardsley said in opening the event.

UVA founder Thomas Jefferson designed the Rotunda to serve as both a library and the centerpiece of the Academical Village, emphasizing the importance of reading and learning. While the Rotunda no longer serves its original purpose, having Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence displayed there, even briefly, honors his revolutionary and academic legacy.      

Below please find a UVA video of the event posted on YouTube.  In it you can hear an example of the beautiful music that was performed in the Rotunda, which has surprisingly favorable acoustics.  Press Play to start.