Home Economy Government Independent Man to return atop the Statehouse in December

Independent Man to return atop the Statehouse in December

By

PBN Staff

-

11/27/2024

IndependentMan — THE INDEPENDENT Man 800-pound statue will return to its spot on top of the Statehouse between Dec. 12-20. / PBN FILE PHOTO/PAMELA BHATIA

PROVIDENCE – The Independent Man will be back atop the Statehouse just in time for the holidays. The freshly renovated, 800-pound statue will return to its home between Dec. 12-20. “I am happy that the Independent Man will be back home for the holidays this year,” said Gov. Daniel J. McKee. “For the past six

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PROVIDENCE – The Independent Man will be back atop the Statehouse just in time for the holidays. The freshly renovated, 800-pound statue will return to its home between Dec. 12-20. “I am happy that the Independent Man will be back home for the holidays this year,” said Gov. Daniel J. McKee. “For the past six months, the lobby of the Statehouse has been filled with visitors impressed by the newly gilded and skillfully crafted Independent Man statue, and I encourage any Rhode Islanders who have not yet had the opportunity to see him in person to do so before he journeys back to the top of the Statehouse.” The Independent Man, which is cast in bronze and plated with gold, was brought down to the Statehouse plaza Dec. 6, 2023, after crews working on the exterior scaffolding and inside the dome discovered that the marble base the 15-foot 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. It returned to the Statehouse on May 4 and has been on public display after receiving a full makeover. Current public viewing will end on Dec. 9. The marble which supports the statue was sourced more than 100 years ago. Production and shipment of the new Georgian marble, originally scheduled to arrive earlier this fall, was delayed due in part to Hurricane Helene, changing the anticipated timetable for the statue’s return to the Statehouse cupola. Once the statue is initially secured to the top of the building, it will remain hidden behind covered scaffolding for a period of time to protect workers and the conservator as they make any final touchups to the statue’s surface. 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.