Rhode Island State House

Last updated
Rhode Island State House
2021 Rhode Island State House from east.jpg
South facade
Rhode Island State House
Interactive map showing Rhode Island State Capitol’s location
Location82 Smith St.
Providence, Rhode Island
Nearest cityProvidence
Coordinates 41°49′51″N71°24′54″W / 41.83083°N 71.41500°W / 41.83083; -71.41500
AreaDowntown and Smith Hill
Built1891–1901 [1]
Architect McKim, Mead & White
Architectural style Neoclassical
NRHP reference No. 70000002
Added to NRHPApril 28, 1970

The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 900 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, on the border of downtown in Providence. It is a neoclassical building designed by McKim, Mead & White which features the fourth largest structural-stone dome in the world, [1] topped by a gilded statue of "The Independent Man", representing freedom and independence. The building houses the Rhode Island General Assembly – the state House of Representatives is located in the west wing, and the Senate in the east – and the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and general treasurer of Rhode Island. Other state offices are located in separate buildings on a campus just north of the State House.

Contents

The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

History

The building under construction (1898) Rhode Island State House, 1898.jpg
The building under construction (1898)

The current Rhode Island State House is Rhode Island's seventh state house and the second in Providence after the Old State House. The structure was designed by McKim, Mead & White, a prominent firm from New York. The building was constructed from 1891 to 1901. [1] The structure underwent a major renovation in the late 1990s. [2]

A private organization, the State House Restoration Society, raises funds and advocates for the landmark building. [1]

Architecture

The Rhode Island State House is constructed of 327,000 cubic feet (9,300 m3) of white Georgia marble, 15 million bricks, and 1,309 short tons (1,169 long tons) of iron floor beams. [3] The dome is "the fourth largest self-supported marble dome in the world". [3] [4]

The chamber of the Rhode Island Senate is located in the east wing of the building, and the chamber of the Rhode Island House of Representatives is located in the west wing. Other notable rooms include the rotunda (beneath the dome), the State Library (north end), and the State Room (south end). The State Room is an entrance area for the office of the governor and contains a full-scale portrait of George Washington by Rhode Island native Gilbert Stuart. This room is also where the governor has press conferences and bill signings at the State House.

The State House was one of the first public buildings to use electricity. It is currently lit by 109 floodlights and two searchlights at night. [3]

The Independent Man (1899)

The Independent Man
The Independent Man atop the Rhode Island State House (cropped).jpg
Perched atop the State House
Bronze head of The Independent Man.jpg
Cast of the head made in 1976
The Independent Man in the Rhode Island State House.jpg
Before 2024 restoration
The Independent Man after restoration.jpg
After restoration

On top of the dome stands a gold-covered bronze statue of a male figure known as The Independent Man. The statue, originally named "Hope," was designed by George Brewster, cast by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, [5] and installed in 1899. [6] The statue weighs more than 500 pounds (230 kg), is 11 feet (3.4 m) tall, and stands 278 feet (85 m) above the ground. [7] The Independent Man represents freedom and independence and alludes to the independent spirit which led Roger Williams to settle and establish Providence Plantations and later the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

In 1976, the statue was removed from its perch for restoration and repair. [7] Workers cast a full-size replica, which was installed at the Warwick Mall, as well as two replicas of the statue's head, [7] before returning the original to its home atop the State House.

A 2023 drone inspection revealed damage to the statue's marble base. [8] [7] [5] In December 2023 the statue was lowered to the ground via crane so that the base could be repaired. [8] The statue was briefly displayed inside the State House for public viewing, then was moved to the North Main Street armory for repair and restoration. [8] [9]

Materials

The statue is cast in bronze, and was originally covered in gold leaf. [10] During the 1970s restoration the statue was covered in gold plating instead of gold leaf. [10] Restorers planned to apply gold leaf on top of the existing gold plating during the 2023-2024 restoration. [10] As the gold leaf will wear over time, the gold plating will be visible. [10]

Events and exhibits

Top part of the Rhode Island Charter in the State House Top part of the Rhode Island Charter.jpg
Top part of the Rhode Island Charter in the State House

Royal Charter

The original Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663 is on permanent display in a small museum at the State House. The exhibit was redesigned and rededicated in January 2016. [11]

Gettysburg Gun

The Gettysburg Gun Gettysburg Gun.JPG
The Gettysburg Gun

A 12-pound bronze civil war-era Napoleon cannon known as The Gettysburg Gun stands just inside the first floor entrance. [12] During the artillery barrage before Pickett's Charge, a Confederate cannonball lodged itself in the muzzle of the gun used by Battery B, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment, putting it out of service. [12] The gun was first displayed in Washington, D.C.; in 1874, Rhode Islanders requested that it be brought home, where it was installed at the State House. [12] In 1988, to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the battle, the gun was temporarily returned to the exact spot in Gettysburg National Military Park where it had been disabled. [12]

Christmas at the State House

Christmas Tree at Rhode Island State House 2013.jpg
2013 tree
2023 Rhode Island State House Christmas Tree.jpg
2023 tree

It is an annual State House tradition to feature a Christmas tree and community and cultural holiday displays each December. A Fraser fir or Balsam fir is erected in the rotunda and decorated. The tree, donated by a local family or tree farm, is typically between 17 and 25 feet tall. [13]

It has become a holiday tradition in local media to feature stories about problems with Rhode Island's state tree, often meriting front page treatment: [14]

Since 2014, holiday displays from "any Rhode Island area-based religious or secular group" have been featured on the first and second floors. [19] Participating groups have included local religious, ethnic, and secular organizations. [19]

The building served as the United States Capitol exterior in the 1997 film Amistad and the City Hall of Capital City in Disney's Underdog .

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnston, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

Johnston is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 29,568 at the 2020 census. Johnston is the site of the Clemence Irons House (1691), a stone-ender museum, and the only landfill in Rhode Island. Incorporated on March 6, 1759, Johnston was named for the colonial attorney general, Augustus Johnston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Providence, Rhode Island</span> Town in Rhode Island, United States

North Providence is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 34,114 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport</span> Airport serving Providence, Rhode Island, United States

Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, 6 miles south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore Francis Green. Rebuilt in 1996, the renovated main terminal was named for former Rhode Island governor Bruce Sundlun. It is the first state-owned airport in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa State Capitol</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Iowa

The Iowa State Capitol, commonly called the Iowa Statehouse, is in Iowa's capital city, Des Moines. As the seat of the Iowa General Assembly, the building houses the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, the Office of the Governor, and the Offices of the Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State. The building also includes a chamber for the Iowa Supreme Court, although court activities usually take place in the neighboring Iowa Supreme Court building. The building was constructed between 1871 and 1886, and is the only five-domed capitol in the country.

The Providence Country Day School is a co-educational independent school founded in 1923. Located in East Providence, Rhode Island, United States, it serves 375 students in grades PreK through 12. The school has no religious affiliation and has been co-ed since 1991. It has maintained accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleagues (NEASC) since 1952.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon State Capitol</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Oregon

The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 and expanded in 1977, the current building is the third to house the Oregon state government in Salem. The first two capitols in Salem were destroyed by fire, one in 1855 and the other in 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan State Capitol</span> State capitol building of the U.S. state of Michigan

The Michigan State Capitol is the building that houses the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the portion of the state capital of Lansing which lies in Ingham County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Caprio</span> American municipal judge (born 1936)

Francesco Caprio is an American judge and politician who served as the chief judge of the municipal court of Providence, Rhode Island, and chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education. His judicial work is televised on the program Caught in Providence. He has also made appearances in the series Parking Wars, adjudicating several cases of traffic violations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India Point Park</span> Park in Providence, Rhode Island

India Point Park is a park in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island at the confluence of the Seekonk River and Providence River. The park takes its name from the maritime activity connecting Providence with the East and West Indies. The East Bay Bike Path begins at the eastern end of the park, and crosses over the Washington Bridge before heading to Watchemoket Square in East Providence and continuing on to the Bristol waterfront north of the Mount Hope Bridge. The park is also a part of the Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect Terrace Park</span>

Prospect Terrace Park is a park located on Congdon Street in the College Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island. The park was founded in 1869, on land that was given to the city by residents of the neighborhood. The park is known as "The Jewel of the City" for its dramatic elevated view of Downtown Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Capitol dome</span> Dome situated above the rotunda of the United States Capitol

The United States Capitol features a dome situated above its rotunda. The dome is 288 feet (88 m) in height and 96 feet (29 m) in diameter. Designed by Thomas U. Walter, the fourth Architect of the Capitol, it was constructed between 1855 and 1866 at a cost of $1,047,291. The Statue of Freedom tops the lantern on the dome, and the dome is centered over the origin on street maps of Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Christopher Columbus (Johnston, Rhode Island)</span> Sculpture by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi

Columbus is a historic statue in Johnston, Rhode Island. The statue is a bronze cast of a sterling silver statue which was created by Rhode Island's Gorham Manufacturing Company for the 1892 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The original silver statue was not meant for permanent exhibition, but rather as a demonstration of the skills of the Gorham Company, and was later melted down. The bronze cast was dedicated on November 8, 1893, in Columbus Square, in Providence, Rhode Island, United States as a gift from the Elmwood Association to the City of Providence.

The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) is a state agency of Rhode Island, headquartered in Downtown Providence. The agency provides services for children and families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Magaziner</span> American politician (born 1983)

Seth Michael Magaziner is an American investment professional and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 31st General Treasurer of Rhode Island from 2015 until 2023. Magaziner won the November 2022 election to succeed retiring representative James Langevin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joshua Miller (Rhode Island politician)</span> Rhode Island politician

Joshua Miller is an American politician who serves as a Democratic member of the Rhode Island Senate representing Cranston District 28 since January 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Rhode Island gubernatorial election</span>

The 2022 Rhode Island gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Rhode Island. Incumbent Democratic Governor Dan McKee became Rhode Island's governor on March 2, 2021, when term-limited Gina Raimondo resigned following her confirmation as United States Secretary of Commerce. McKee easily won a full term on election day, defeating Republican Ashley Kalus by more than 19 percentage points.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Rhode Island</span>

The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. state of Rhode Island is part of an ongoing worldwide viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. As of August 18, 2022, there has been 414,931 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, 89 of which are currently hospitalized, and 3,636 reported deaths. Rhode Island's COVID-19 case rate and death rate per capita are the highest and twentieth highest, respectively, of the fifty states since the start of the pandemic.

This is a list of protests in Rhode Island related to the murder of George Floyd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Rhode Island were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of Rhode Island, one from each of the state's 2 congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. It followed a primary election on September 13, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabina Matos</span> 70th Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island

Sabina Matos is an American politician serving as the 70th lieutenant governor of Rhode Island. Sabina Matos is the first Dominican American elected to statewide office in the United States. Matos also holds the distinction of being the first Black statewide officeholder in Rhode Island.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Woodward, Wm. McKenzie (2003). PPS/AIAri Guide to Providence Architecture. Photography by William Jagger Photography (1st ed.). Providence, Rhode Island: Providence Preservation Society and American Institute of Architects Rhode Island Chapter. pp. 107–109. ISBN   0-9742847-0-X.
  2. ↑ "Cupolas of Capitalism: State Capitol Building Histories: States from P to S". Cupola. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Facts and Figures". State of Rhode Island General Assembly. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Providence Heritage Trail". VisitRhodeIsland.com (Rhode Island Tourism Division). Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  5. 1 2 DaSilva, melanie (15 September 2023). "Independent Man to be taken down for repairs". WPRI. Nexstar Media Inc. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Man Atop the Statehouse". www.rhody.com. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Patrick (15 September 2023). "The iconic Independent Man statue on the RI State House is coming down for restoration. What we know". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 DaSilva, Melanie (5 December 2023). "Independent Man taken down for restoration". Providence, RI: WPRI News. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  9. ↑ NBC 10 NEWS (9 January 2024). "Independent Man moved from State House to armory for restoration". Providence, Rhode Island. WJAR news. Retrieved 16 April 2024. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — The Independent Man made the move Tuesday from the Rhode Island State House to the North Main Street Armory, where the statue will be repaired and restored.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Governor McKee Unveils Independent Man Inside the State House for the First Time in Nearly 50 Years". Governor Dan McKee. Providence, Rhode Island: State of Rhode Island. 6 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  11. ↑ Tefft, Artie (30 January 2016). "Rhode Island Charter gets new display". WJAR News. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Kozma, Carol (2 July 2017). "If this gun could talk". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Anderson, Patrick (22 November 2016). "State House Christmas tree didn't measure up, so it got replaced". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Amaral, Brian (28 November 2018). "Buckle up, Rhode Island: It's time to light the State House Christmas tree". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  15. 1 2 McKinney, Mike (2 December 2013). "After 'holiday tree' controversy, Chafee now calls RI State House tree a 'Christmas tree'". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  16. ↑ Bender, John (18 December 2017). "After A Moment In The Spotlight, RI Statehouse Christmas Tree Comes Down". Rhode Island Public Radio. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  17. ↑ Anderson, Patrick (18 December 2017). "Dead Christmas tree is replaced at R.I. State House". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  18. ↑ Gregg, Katherine (1 December 2019). "This time an artificial Christmas tree will spruce up the State House". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  19. 1 2 Gregg, Katherine (27 November 2015). "Holiday displays at the State House: Open to all, but follow the rules". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
Preceded by
Unknown
 Tallest Building in Providence
1904–1927
68 m		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.