Providence committee recommends permanent removal and sale of Columbus statue

THE PROVIDENCE SPECIAL COMMITTEE for Commemorative Works on Friday voted to recommend the Providence Christopher Columbus statue be permanently removed and sold. / COURTESY STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

PROVIDENCE – The city’s Special Committee for Commemorative Works will recommend the controversial Christopher Columbus statue not return to city parkland and instead be sold.

The committee in a meeting on Friday unanimously approved a recommendation to permanently “deaccess” or remove and sell, the statue, pending an appraisal to determine its value. The 2.5-hour meeting included comments from roughly a dozen neighborhood residents, a majority of whom did not want the statue to return to its pedestal on Columbus Square, where it was temporarily removed in June.

Many of those who spoke against the statue pointed to its namesake’s role in colonizing the Americas and the corresponding mistreatment of native people. Some called for it to be destroyed or have the bronze metal melted down, while others suggested that any action to remove or relocate the statue also include broader discussion of the context and history of Columbus’ legacy.

Committee members also weighed how specific or prescriptive they could be in their recommendation, which as Chairman Ray Rickman noted, is simply an advisory opinion that the city Board of Parks Commissioners can take in full or part, or ignore. 

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April Brown, who made the motion, said she did not think even contextualization of the statue was enough to offset the “harm” that the “polarizing figure” continues to create.

Member Becci Davis agreed, but suggested required contextualization would prevent a prospective seller from redisplaying the statue as-is in another public space. Ultimately, the recommendation did not put limits on what any potential seller could do with the statue, though several members expressed their personal desire for it not to be displayed publicly again.

“If we’re lucky, this goes to an auction house and an Italian nobleman buys and puts in his 16-acre garden and no one ever sees it except their friends,” Rickman said.

Exactly how much the statue is worth is unknown, but the recommendation includes a request for an updated appraisal. Several committee members as well as city archivist Caleb Horton noted its historical importance. Created in 1893 using silver from Providence-based Gorham Manufacturing Co., the statue was later recast in bronze and gifted to the city by the Elmwood Association.

It has been subject to numerous discussions about potential removal over the years, including after recent acts of vandalism. In June, the city temporarily removed it from public view pending review and recommendation from the Special Committee on Public Works.

The recommendation also did not specify what, if  anything, should be installed in its place in Columbus Square, though city ordinances require that any profits from the selling of the statue be reinvested in city parks, according to Stephanie Fortunato, the city’s director for the Department of Arts, Culture + Tourism.

Two other Columbus statues in Westerly and Newport remain in place, with no plans for removal. If anything, recent controversy over the statue ignited by the Black Lives Matter movement has only solidified residents’ desire to keep the statue in Westerly, according to Town Manager Mark Rooney.

The Westerly Town Council in the fall voted to spend $5,000 to help secure and protect the statue’s location in Wilcox Park, The Westerly Sun reported. Ultimately, donations and park-dedicated funds through The Westerly Library paid for the security measures, which include a decorative security fence and motion sensors, Rooney said.

Last year, an online petition sought to remove the Newport Columbus statue, but the city never took up any proposals or discussions, according to city spokesman Thomas Shevlin.

Nancy Lavin is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Lavin@PBN.com.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Only when there is a true understanding that Columbus was a cruel, uncaring, murderous tyrant, will the removal be fully celebrated. Many people still do not know. This history should be exposed, taught, and always represent a humble reminder of what did happen and in different forms still happens. It’s over 120 years later, and we are having this conversation. AND why BLM is important.

  2. If it weren’t for Columbus, the BLM movement wouldn’t even exist. Yes, Columbus was not a saint and did things we disagree with. BUT he was responsible for discovering America and for that he should be celebrated. It’s history. It cannot be changed or ignored. We can learn from it and move forward but we should not erase both the accomplishments and the mistakes our ancestors made. It is also an insult to Italians everywhere to negate Mr. Columbus’ accomplishments. We really didn’t need Mr. Rickman’s comment.