The Rhode Island National Guard’s North Main Street Armory is getting a new resident – the 14-foot gold-plated statue of the Independent Man.
The 14-foot gold-plated statue of the Independent Man will be taken to the Rhode Island National Guard’s North Main Street Armory in Providence on Monday, January 8. It will undergo restoration work there for the next several months. The statue will be transported in a hand-crafted, padded cradle and moved to its new location by flatbed truck.
The Independent Man statue will undergo a detailed restoration process, which includes cleaning the surface, repairing the gold plating, and applying gold leaf on top of the plating. Originally, the Independent Man was covered in gold leaf. However, the gold leaf was removed in the 1970s and replaced with gold plating due to wear and weathering. The current conservation work aims to restore the gold leaf covering while still retaining the gold plate underneath. This will ensure that any future wear to the gold leaf will not significantly affect the statue’s color.
“After decades of weathering storms, blizzards and hurricanes, the Independent Man is getting a much needed touch-up to restore him to his original glory,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Preserving this important piece of our state’s history would not be possible without the support from the Rhode Island National Guard, and we’re grateful for their assistance.”
The state is currently in the process of finalizing a contract with Mark Rabinowitz, who serves as the President and Principal Conservator of EverGreene Architectural Arts. Rabinowitz will be responsible for overseeing the restoration of a statue. He obtained a degree in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design and has since had a successful career in preservation, including working on projects such as the U.S. Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial.
Due to work safety considerations, Governor McKee’s office says that visitors will not be able to observe or photograph workers as they prepare the statue for transport inside the State House on Monday. Due to security concerns and safety considerations related to both the host facility and the restoration process, the Armory will not be open to the public while the Independent Man is on site.
State photographers and videographers will be documenting the restoration process and will share visuals with the press regularly, according to Governor McKee’s office.
The Independent Man will remain near the main entrance to the State House until Friday, January 5. All visitors are welcome and encouraged to take a picture with the statue and sign the guest book.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.