Buildings of New England

Following the design of the United States Capitol (1793), the Rhode Island State Capitol, designed in 1895, is actually the seventh state house in the tiny state of Rhode Island, and the second in Providence. The massive building is located on the northern edge of Downtown Providence, was designed by the world renowned firm of McKim, Mead & White, and is constructed of brick with iron beams, clad in white marble. The part of the building many do not see up close is the bronze statue perched atop the dome. The statue is called “Independent Man”, designed by George T. Brewster, and selected by principal architect Charles Follen McKim. The statue is said to symbolize freedom and independence, which initially led Roger Williams to settle in and establish the Providence Plantations, which later became the Colony of Rhode Island.