The Independent Man statue will be lifted back into place atop the Rhode Island State House dome in early December, Governor Dan McKee announced today.
The statue was removed last year after drone footage revealed a crack in its marble base, raising concerns about its stability.
The 15-foot statue will be de-installed from public display in the State House lobby by December 9th and lifted to the top of the building sometime between December 12th and 20th, weather permitting. The exact date of the lift will be announced later in December.
“I am happy that the Independent Man will be back home for the holidays this year,” said Governor McKee. “For the past six months, the lobby of the State House has been filled with visitors impressed by the newly gilded and skillfully crafted Independent Man statue, and I encourage any Rhode Islanders who have not yet had the opportunity to see him in person to do so before he journeys back to the top of the State House.”
The Independent Man was removed last year using a crane after drone footage revealed a crack in its marble base. The statue itself was not damaged and was transported offsite for restoration. Once secured at the top of the State House, the statue will be obscured behind scaffolding as crews and conservators make final touches. The scaffolding will then be slowly disassembled, revealing the newly restored Independent Man.
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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.