A crowd of locals, amateur photographers, construction workers, and families gathered to watch the glistening 15-foot Independent Man statue as it touched down above the Rhode Island Statehouse dome a little after 10 in the morning on Wednesday.
The icon of the Statehouse was removed about a year ago after drone footage revealed a wedge-shaped damage to its marble base, putting the statue at risk. The base has since been replaced with Georgian marble from the same quarry as the original. The shiny gold statue has undergone some $2 million dollars in restorations to bring back and protect its luster, through a process known as gold electroplating.
This was the first time in 50 years and only the second time in Rhode Island history that the Independent Man has taken a break from his perch atop the State House. The last time being in 1975.
Prior to his return, the statue spent the majority of the year within the Statehouse entrance lobby, where visitors were grabbing photos with him for much of the year.
The return of the Independent Man’s coincides with the anniversary date of when Rhode Island became the first colony to renounce allegiance to England in 1776 —two whole months before the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence.
