Mammoth mural masks renovation project

What better way to conceal the unsightly scaffolding surrounding the $42.5 million exterior renovation of the historic Massachusetts State House in Boston than with a 15,500-sq.-ft. mural commemorating the Civil War's famed 54^th Regiment—Massachusetts' first African-American regiment? The state unveiled the building-sized mural to obstruct views of construction and to keep debris contained. The restoration work, which is being performed by Boston-based Suffolk Construction Co., started in May of 2000 and is expected to last 28 months.