PROVIDENCE – The Providence Foundation was recently the beneficiary of a $3,000 grant from Bank Rhode Island to support the restoration efforts of the historic Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Kennedy Plaza adjacent to City Hall.
According to a Dec. 9 news release from the Providence-based bank, the Providence Foundation will be working with the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy on restoring the monument, which was dedicated to the city in 1871. The 40-foot-tall monument, designed by American artist Randolph Rogers, honors the 1,727 infantry, cavalry, artillery and naval veterans who died during the Civil War, the release states.
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Restoration initiatives include refurbishing the statue’s stone and bronze, fabricating new cannonballs to replace missing ones and repairing the in-ground lighting around the statue. In addition, a low fence surrounding the monument will be installed along with nearby tables and chairs for visitors.
“Over the past decade-plus, the Providence Foundation and the Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy have done a great job improving Kennedy Plaza, which is among our city’s most prominent public spaces,” said Bank Rhode Island CEO and President Mark J. Meiklejohn in a statement. “We’re honored to support their work and show our appreciation for the sacrifices of the many veterans remembered by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor and covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com.
