Dozens visit the Independent Man on last day at State House

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Thousands of people took photos with the Independent Man and signed their name in the guest book this past month at the State House.

Gov. Dan McKee encouraged members of the public to “become part of Rhode Island history” by visiting the statue at the State House before its departure on Monday.

The State of Rhode Island shared that in 1970 the Independent Man had its first touch-down to Earth, where it underwent its first repairs.

The original statue was covered in gold leaf in 1899, and during its 1970 conservation, the outer layer was repaired with plated gold rather than the gold leaf.

On Tuesday, the 14-foot statue will move to the Rhode Island National Guard Armory to undergo its repairs, which will include returning it to its original gold-leaf appearance.

If you missed out on this historical event, you can see a virtual viewing of the Independent Man visitation on our News App.