Media Advisory: Independent Man Statue Removal

Published on Monday, December 04, 2023

When: 7 a.m., Tuesday, Dec. 5 (weather dependent) 

Where: RI State House, Smith Street, Providence

Pending favorable weather conditions, the Independent Man statue will travel from the top of the State House to the plaza below early Tuesday morning.

Cast in bronze and plated in gold, the statue will be secured by metal rigging wrapped in protective material to safeguard the statue’s surface. The rigging will then be connected to a 250-ton crane that extends to 400 feet. Crews working on the exterior scaffolding and inside the cupola on which the statue is mounted will work to remove him from the damaged marble base. 

When the Independent Man is separated from the marble, the crane will lift him up in the air and set him down onto the State House Plaza, facing Smith Street. Once in the air, the secured statue should reach the ground quickly. The statue will then be laid down onto a wooden platform. After the statue is secured to the platform, the Independent Man will be moved inside the State House.

Over the course of the week, the crane will also be used to remove the four damaged marble pieces that form the base upon which the Independent Man is usually mounted. Once those pieces have been removed, workers will cover the top of the State House cupola temporarily with a steel plate. A new marble base will need to be crafted before the statue can be remounted.

IMPORTANT: For the safety of all those involved in this careful process, no foot traffic will be allowed on the State House Plaza. Helicopter and drone traffic over the State House grounds will be prohibited and enforced, due to concerns for the safety of the workers involved. The State will operate a dedicated drone capturing footage from a safe distance in close coordination with the removal crew and that footage will be made available upon request.

The Governor’s Office will announce the details of the official unveiling ceremony set to take place later this week.