Home Economy Government Independent Man returning to Statehouse May 4 for public viewing

Independent Man returning to Statehouse May 4 for public viewing

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PBN Staff

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04/29/2024

I-man 2023-medium — THE INDEPENDENT MAN, the statue that normally sits atop the Statehouse, will return for its final closeup viewing on May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. after spending the winter being dressed in a new layer of gold leaf. /COURTESY OFFICE OF GOV. DANIEL J. MCKEE

PROVIDENCE – Fresh off his makeover, the Independent Man is coming home. The 800-pound statue that normally sits atop the Statehouse will return for its final closeup viewing on May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. after spending the winter being dressed in a new layer of gold leaf. The statue will be transported to

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PROVIDENCE – Fresh off his makeover, the Independent Man is coming home. The 800-pound statue that normally sits atop the Statehouse will return for its final closeup viewing on May 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. after spending the winter being dressed in a new layer of gold leaf. The statue will be transported to the Statehouse May 2 and temporarily reinstalled in the foyer by close of business on May 3. The timing of the Independent Man’s return coincides with the anniversary of the date in 1776 when Rhode Island became the first colony to renounce allegiance to England – two months before delegates to the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. “As promised, I want to make sure that Rhode Islanders have another chance to see the Independent Man up close and experience an exciting part of Rhode Island history before the statue returns to its perch later this year,” said Gov. Daniel J. McKee. “He has his shine back, and I have to say, he is looking sharp.” The iconic 14-foot statue will be on display during the Statehouse’s regular weekday hours of operation through the summer. Plans are currently underway to return the Independent Man to the top of the Statehouse this fall, once a replacement marble base – using Georgian marble from the original quarry – is completed. The Independent Man, which is cast in bronze and plated with gold, was brought down to the Statehouse plaza Dec. 6 after crews working on the exterior scaffolding and inside the dome discovered the marble base the 800-pound statue sits on was damaged. It was on public display in the Statehouse’s main entryway until Jan. 5 before leaving to undergo much-needed repairs and restoration. The Independent Man was last removed for renovations and repairs in 1975. Originally named “Hope,” the statue was installed in 1899 and designed by artist and Rhode Island School of Design instructor George Brewster and cast by the Gorham Manufacturing Co. in Providence Visitors from more than 20 states and Washington, D.C., and from more than a dozen countries viewed the iconic statue when it was first on public display last December and January.