Rhode Island State House- Providence, RI

At the turn of the nineteenth century, McKim, Mead and White were one of America’s most sought after architectural firms. Particularly adept at Neoclassical and Beaux Arts buildings, their work was everywhere, ranging from magnificent private mansions to university campuses. In 1891, around the same time they were working on the ephemeral Agricultural Building for the Chicago’s World Fair, they began planning the much more permanent Rhode Island State House.

In 1892, the firm was awarded the State House commission following a design competition, with Richard Morris Hunt allegedly casting the deciding vote; others contend it wasn’t much of a contest, as McKim was the predetermined winner. In any event, construction began in 1895, involved 327,000 cubic feet of white Georgia marble, and cost in excess of $3 million.

Situated on Smith’s Hill, the stately building is approached by a broad set of marble stairs, watched over by statues of Oliver Hazard Perry and Nathaneal Greene. The State House itself features the world’s forth largest self supporting marble dome, set atop the building’s central block along with smaller corner turret domes, flanked by two wings. Above it all stands an 11 foot gold covered bronze statue, Independent Man.

Inside, marble stairs ascend to the central rotunda, which contains a bronze replica of the state seal inlaid in the floor. Above, a mural of Roger Williams colonizing Providence Plantation is surrounded by a carved coffered ceiling. To either side, stone stairs access the second floor legislative chambers. As one of the first buildings in Rhode Island to feature electricity, large bronze light fixtures figure prominently into the building’s design.

On the north end of the second floor is the State House Library, a magnificent room featuring corner spiral staircases, an ornate gold leaf coved ceiling, and shelves upon shelves of leather bound books. Open to the public, the collection contains both legal reference material and historical documents dating back to 1750.

Another spectacular second floor space is the State Reception Room, boasting a gloriously gilded ceiling, gold crowned marble pilasters, two fireplaces and a crystal chandelier. On one wall hangs Gilbert Stuart’s 1802 portrait of George Washington; on the opposite, Gari Melcher’s painting of Rhode Island native Nathaneal Greene, Washington’s second-in-command during the Revolutionary War. Although derided by McKim for resembling a ballroom, it is absolutely an appropriate space for official functions.

Timeless and stately, McKim’s classic design influenced many subsequent civic buildings across the United States, many still in use today. Sophisticated and substantial, it is a wonderful space to explore.