Description: We visited Providence for just for a short period of time for there was more to Rhode Island that I wanted to see. There were only two main reasons why I wanted to visit the city. The first reason was because I wanted to see the State Capitol. I was trying to not only visit all fifty states, but their state capitols as well. The State Capitol is located in downtown right off of I-95.
The Capitol building is pretty impressive looking, although, there is nothing totally unique about it. Perhaps it is the 327,000 cubic feet of white Georgia marble that makes it stand out. We walked up the steps leading to the rear of the Capitol. Located south of the Capitol is Providence Place, Rhode Island’s largest shopping mall and one of the largest in New England. It is a 1.4 million square foot shopping center comprising three floors and connected to the Westin Hotel by a skywalk. There are over 160 stores and several street side restaurants. The shopping center can be easily seen from the rear steps of the Capitol. Since the completion of the mall, it has blocked most of the view of the Capitol from the Interstate.
The dome of the Capitol is the fourth largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter’s Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. On the top of the dome, there is a 500 lb gold covered bronze statue of the Independent Man. It is supposed to represent freedom and independence. We walked into the Capitol and it was just as impressive inside as it was outside. The interior is carved out of marble. Throughout the rotunda there are battle flags, statues, and guns representing the state’s military past. In the center of the rotunda under the marble dome, is a brass replica of the state seal.
We exited out of the front entrance of the Capitol located on Smith Street. About a ten minute walk east of the Capitol is the Roger Williams National Memorial, which was my other reason for visiting the city. One of two national parks in Rhode Island, this memorial commemorates the life of Roger Williams, who was banished from Massachusetts because of his religious beliefs. He moved to Rhode Island where he encouraged people to worship however they wanted without interference from the state. The memorial consist of a 4.5 acre urban park at the foot of College Hill. It is surrounded by North Main, Canal, and Smith streets, and Park Row. The memorial is the 20th smallest park within the National Park Service.
The memorial is located on a section of the original settlement of Providence settled by Roger Williams in 1636. There is a visitor center that is open seven days a week that tells the story of Roger Williams through exhibits and a short film. There is no fee to visit the site. The landscaped park offers a great opportunity to learn about the life of Roger Williams and view the fresh water spring and common area of the first European settlement in Providence.
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