May 14, 2024, the day began without a hint that we would go to see the Independent Man at the Rhode Island State House. A regular morning, but a little less goofing around, because Jan had a hair appointment at 11:00 AM. We decided to leave a little early to stop at the dry cleaners in Pawtuxet to have one of Jan’s skirts shortened.
The owner’s friendly and large dogs greeted us behind the counter. We petted them a little, and the tailor measured and marked the skirt. We said bye to them all and walked out. I stayed on that side of the road to walk on the bridge to take some photographs as Jan crossed the street to her hairdresser.


Look Down and Look Up
The running water over the rocks creates interesting patterns I enjoy photographing. Looking down from the bridge, I could see the tiny islands, waterfalls, interesting color patterns, and on some lucky days even a heron, but not today. As I walked down the bridge photographing the scenery below, I heard a plane approaching the nearby airport. I snapped a picture and moved on.
At the end of the bridge, I crossed the street and walked down the side street to the parking lot, and on the way back on the other side, I saw the Mermaid of Pawtuxet. Then I ended up at the outside table and benches to sit down and kill time. As I read on the Kindle reader, I heard another plane approaching, then another, … and I continued taking their pictures. While I enjoyed sitting and reading, a bee approached me too close and I decided to get up and cross the street where the car was parked. I had to wave my arms to get rid of the bee and eventually succeeded. I took a few more pictures and decided to sit in the car and wait for Jan to return.










As I was sitting in the car, I received an email from Jim suggesting it was a good day to visit the Independent Man at the State House. I replied and told him I would write again after checking with Jan. A few minutes later, Jan came with her newly trimmed hair and we drove home. I mentioned the idea to her and she was all for it. So, I wrote to Jim and arranged the time for him to pick us up.
The Independent Man
The landmark statue has a history going back to the 19th century. Designed by George Brewster to reflect the idea proposed by Roger Williams, it was cast by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, and installed in 1899 on top of the State House. Originally named Hope, it reflects freedom and independence. It was taken down once in 1975 for some maintenance.
Recently, the structure upon which it stood for over a century needed repairs and it was taken down a few months ago. While they continued to repair the base, the statue went through cleaning, maintenance, and a new coat of gold gilding. A couple of weeks ago, they brought the statue and placed it inside the State House for the public to have a closer look at the 11-foot-tall gilded man.
We parked behind the State House in an area reserved for people with handicapped placards, went through the security check, and took the elevator to the first floor to meet the Independent Man. It was quite impressive as it towered over all of us. We took pictures from different angles, enjoyed the scenery, and started to get back to the elevator. As we climbed the few stairs, I also took photographs of the dome of the structure. All that with no tripod!
There was a bronze head in a glass case next to the sculpture. Using the plaque in Jan’s picture of the extra piece, I did a little research about the bronze head. When they took the statue down in 1975, The Paul King Foundry in Johnston where they did restorative work and gilding created a bronze replica of the head of the statue to raise money. “In 2000, the Lavin Family of Narragansett donated their bronze cast of the “Head of the Independent Man” to the University of Rhode Island. The generous donation was made in memory of John J. Lavin (1971-1978).” (Source)
Meet the Independent Man in my and Jan’s photographs.













Haluk Atamal
Thanks for sharing the very interesting and informative text & photos. I was once more reminded that to build such statues, one must have a very good knowledge of the human anatomy.
As for the dome, the best idea is to lie on your back on the floor and shoot upwards; but this is probably asking too much from you 😊 – it also has the risk of attracting the security guards like I once experienced.
Take care and best regards to Jan!
Haluk
A. Cemal Ekin
Good to hear from you, Haluk. I could have laid on my back to take the dome pictures, but … as you said, getting up would have been a challenge! We enjoyed the outing and if we return to the State House again, I may bring a tripod.
Take care,
Cemal