Facing down a steep hill, the front
of the brick building has a steep flight of stairs leading up to the old, crumbling
front door that is no longer in use. Two platforms sit at the base of the front
steps on either side of the walkway. Now empty, it appeared as if the platforms
had been used to display something large. One slab proclaimed, “Gettysburg” on
the front, and the other read, “Bull Run.” Knowing that these are names of two
battles of the Civil War, I imagined that some sort of antique weaponry must
have been displayed there, but was removed at some point, probably for
preservation purposes.
After
examining the inside and outside of the building, I walked down a hill, through
a park, and over a bridge to get to the current Capitol. As I exited the park
on the far side, the enormous dome came into view. It was breath-taking. It sat
on top of another hill, without any trees for several hundred feet surrounding
the building, giving it an unobstructed view of the city. After taking some
photos of the back of the immense building, I traversed the vast courtyard, and
went inside through the visitor’s entrance. As with many Capitol buildings,
Rhode Island’s requires visitors to go through a security screening process
before entering the building. On either side of the security area, two cannons
were poised facing each other across the hallway. The displays in front verified
that these were the cannons that used to be displayed on the slabs in front of
the Old State House that I had noticed before. The Gettysburg Gun has a
cannonball lodged in the mouth of it, still stuck almost 150 years later. 
When I stepped into the central
part of the building, I was in awe. Just inside the entrance and up a short flight
of stairs, I found myself in the middle of the unbelievable rotunda. Four
stories soared above my head to reveal the inside of the painted dome, while
the state seal of Rhode Island rested beneath my feet. The dome is the
fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, after St. Peter's
Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. The inside of the
dome is a painted mural that has stood the test of time. Just below that are
four representative murals with one of the words Justitia, Litera, Commercium,
and Educatio emblazoned beneath each of them. It was, by far, the most
beautiful dome I have seen so far.
After seeing the rotunda, I walked
upstairs to see the Senate and the House chambers. Although the legislative
chambers of most Capitols are dignified, traditional, and aesthetically
pleasing, they are not usually the most ornately decorated rooms in the
building. This was certainly the case in the Rhode Island State House, where
the library is by far the most beautiful room. The majority of its appeal is
due to the ceiling, which has incredibly intricate gold-leaf designs,
illuminated by an enormous skylight and several two-story windows. With three
stories of increasingly ancient and enormous volumes, the library gives the
impression that there is no knowledge that does not reside somewhere within it.
As I walked
back downstairs, I began thinking that there are capitals at every level of
population and complexity. From Montpelier, a small town in the country, to
Boston, the biggest city in Massachusetts, I had experienced the extremes of those
differences. Providence lies somewhere in the middle of that scale; it is not
nearly as expansive as Boston, but not as confined as some of the other capital
towns either. The grandeur of the Capitol and the surrounding buildings
definitely convey the atmosphere of a city, but the people are as hospitable
and friendly as though they’d been your lifelong neighbors.
Just as its inhabitants are
welcoming, the history of Rhode Island demonstrates a culture that embraces
acceptance. Roger Williams, a Protestant who was an early proponent of
religious freedom, founded the colony of Providence. He settled in the area in
June of 1636 after being exiled from Massachusetts for his outspoken beliefs about
the separation of church and state. As the story goes, he stole away in the
dead of night during a fierce blizzard before the sheriff could exile him
personally. After walking over 100 miles in the snow, he sought shelter from the
Chief Sachem, Massasoit, of the Wampanoag Native Americans, who housed him for
several weeks. He then bought a large piece of land from Massasoit that was to
become a new colony of acceptance and religious freedom. He named the colony
“Providence” because he felt that it was divine providence that led him there.
In fact, he was so passionate about the colony that he named his third child
Providence, who was the first to be born within the new settlement.
In another
matter of personal freedom, slavery was abolished in Rhode Island as early as
the 17th century, but the legislation was not enforced well into the 18th
century. In 1774, Stephan Hopkins introduced a bill to the Rhode Island
Assembly that prohibited the importation of slaves into the colony. In 1784,
the Assembly passed a compromise that allowed for the gradual emancipation of
slaves within Rhode Island. By 1840, the census reported that there were only
five African Americans enslaved within the state of Rhode Island. This could be
considered quite progressive for the time period, and is indicative of the
Rhode Island’s cultural origins of personal liberty.
Still mulling over all that I had
discovered, I left through the rear of the building and walked around to the
looming front to take some more photographs. Although the walkway was well
shaded by trees, the summer heat was getting to me, so I returned to my car and
went in search for some lunch. I ended up at a restaurant called Murphy’s,
which was an Irish inspired restaurant and deli. I had the best potato skins of
my life followed by a chicken and bacon sandwich. It was immensely satisfying,
although afterwards I felt lethargic enough to take my time returning to my
automobile.
Near to my hotel, I spotted a
massive park on the map in the southern part of the city. As the afternoon was
still young, I decided to stop and do a little exploring. It was wonderful.
Although it wasn’t in the most prosperous of neighborhoods, the park was
riddling with people taking their dog for a walk, or couples taking paddleboat
rides in the small lake. I saw a sign for the ‘Temple of Music,’ and I decided
to stop and take a look. It was, quite literally, a temple. A rectangular
structure with four columns on either side, it overlooked the lake with the sun
setting behind it. A low stonewall enclosed a large semi-circle on the side
facing the park, allowing a potential crowd a place to congregate. It was built
some time ago, and the engravings on the interior of the walls were hard to
read, but I could tell that this place had hosted celebrations many times
throughout its life. Its tranquility was an excellent end to my day in
Providence.
I set out again with the blinding
rays of the sun directly in front of me. It was the conclusion of the first leg
of my journey, and I felt as though if this were any indication of it, the rest
of my journey is going to be a trip to remember. 
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