PROVIDENCE – Despite heartened pleas from community residents and Italian heritage groups to save the Christopher Columbus statue, only two people offered to buy it from the city, and at less than 10% of its appraised value.
In light of the lack of interested buyers, the city is reissuing its request for proposals, as approved by the Providence Board of Parks Commissioners on Oct. 26. The decision continues the yearslong saga of what to do with the historic, yet controversial city statue, which was taken down from its pedestal in Columbus Square in June 2020 after being repeatedly vandalized.
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The statue was cast in bronze from an original sterling silver statue by the French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, who also designed the Statue of Liberty. The original statue was commissioned by Providence-based Gorham Manufacturing Co. for the 1892 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Some people say the bronze statue, cast in 1893, is an example of artistry and local history. Others condemn it as a symbol of racism and genocide.
Faced with conflicting viewpoints, the city has struggled with deciding where it should go, and to whom. Although the city’s Special Committee for Commemorative Works previously recommended that the city sell the piece at auction – a process in the museum world known as deaccessioning – and use the profits to reinvest in the neighborhood, auction houses were reluctant to take on the task of selling the piece because of its controversial nature, Wendy Nilsson, city parks superintendent, said previously.
The parks commission in July voted to issue a public solicitation to find a potential buyer or long-term lessee for the statue. The request for proposals, which closed Sept. 26, left open the price and use of the statue, only specifying that it “must be well preserved, protected and not damaged, altered, manipulated or melted down in any way.”
One of the two responses came from state historical laureate Patrick T. Conley, who through his nonprofit Heritage Harbor Foundation, offered to buy the statue for $25,000. However, Conley’s bid did not explain what he plans to do with the statue, which is one of the questions required in the city solicitation.
Nilsson in the meeting said the city was “intrigued by” the offer but did not have sufficient information to make a decision.
The other offer, for $7,800, came from Mary Brimmer, a North Kingstown resident and town councilwoman who wanted to display the statue at her South Carolina retirement home. Brimmer’s bid also included $1 million in liability insurance coverage and coverage of travel and storage costs, noting that the gated community in which the statue would be located included 24/7 security guards.
The reissued city bid, which had not been published as of Friday, will give Brimmer and Conley a chance to reapply with more information, while also extending the offer to other interested groups and auction houses. The parks commission again chose not to set a minimum purchase price, though Ray Rickman, chairman of the special committee of commemorative works, urged them not to take less than the appraised value of $250,000-$500,000.
“We’ve got something here,” Rickman said during the meeting, noting the acclaim of the sculptor and the value of the statue as a piece of art. “I think we should try to get maximum money for it.”
The reissued bid had not been published as of Friday.
An earlier version of this story was updated to include and clarify some historical information about the statue.
Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.
