The Independent Man Returns

Published on Monday, April 29, 2024

PROVIDENCE, RI – The refurbished statue of the Independent Man is heading back home and will be available for public viewing just in time for Rhode Island Independence Day. 

“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 Governor Dan McKee. “He has his shine back, and I have to say, he is looking sharp.” 

The 14’ statue, dressed in a new layer of gold leaf, will be returned to public view this Saturday, May 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of a State House open house, organized collaboratively by the Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and the State House Restoration Committee. It will then be available for viewing during the State House’s regular weekday hours of operation through the summer. Plans are currently underway to return the Independent Man to the top of the State House this fall, once a replacement marble base—using Georgian marble from the original quarry—is completed.

Last fall, drone footage of the State House revealed that the marble base upon which the statue rests had been compromised, putting the statue at risk. The state quickly acted to remove the iconic statue temporarily and hired an expert conservator to restore the Independent Man’s original, gold-leaf surface. 

In the mid-1970s, the statue’s gold leaf had worn considerably. At that time, he was also removed from the top of the State House and underwent a refurbishment that included removing the remaining gold leaf and covering the statue with a new coating of gold electroplate. Gold electroplating rather than gold leaf was used because the electroplating was less likely to wear in the weather.  

This year, after the gold electroplating underwent minor repairs, the conservation team added an overlayer of gold leaf on top of the electroplating. This strategy not only restored the original surface from 1899 but also provided another layer of protection from the elements and ensured the gold underneath would still be visible if the leaf began to wear.

The statue will be transported to the State House this Thursday and temporarily reinstalled in the foyer by close of business on Friday.

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.