Our visit (THUR AUG 1, 2024) came towards the end of a 4 mile walk around Providence. Our intention was to visit the “nearby” CHARTER MUSEUM, to see the original Rhode Island Royal Charter which was provided for the ‘Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations’ in 1633 by King Charles II. From what we could see on Google maps, the museum was next to the State House, and therefore would be easy enough to find, but we struggled to find it. It was due to close at 16:30 so we had to pick up our pace.
As we reached the rear of the State House, which looked as equally as impressive as the front, there was no sign of the museum. In fact there were no signs. We were unsure what to do, so nervously approached the main entrance of the grand building.
Now, we’ve never been inside a State House before, so we didn’t know what to expect behind the imposing doors. We quickly discovered that the building was in fact open to the public and the museum was somewhere inside!
Two friendly security guards took us through the airport-style security then we were on our own in a vast marble chamber with vaulted ceilings, numerous staircases, ornate furnishings and a gold statue* of a man. Wow!
It was a lot to take in and we nervously started to explore, lowering our voices in polite deference to our special surroundings, but not lingering too long at the many impressive things we encountered as the half past four closing time was fast approaching.
We crossed paths a couple of times with a lady we later learnt was from Texas, who was also looking for the Charter Museum. With only 15 minutes to go, we finally found it thanks to a discreet sign. The Charter Museum, it transpired, was in a discreet side room accessed via a door leading off from a nondescript corridor.
The lighting was subdued to protect the artefacts inside but the Royal Charter, made up of three large pieces of parchment, was illuminated and displayed behind protective glass. Written in old English, it was a challenge to decipher the wording but we got the gist of it. Kind of. The charter gave the Rhode Island settlers the right to govern their own colony plus the freedom of religion. Alas, there was no Royal signature at the end.
On display nearby were a replica of the British flag from the ship which carried the Charter, a portion of the box in which the Charter was sent and, more importantly, a cast of the Great Seal of Charles II. In the absence of the King’s signature, we assumed that the Great Seal was evidence enough to those 17th century settlers that the document was indeed genuine. Not that we were questioning it of course, and not that it mattered now. Too late. Independence had happened, but how good to see our countries’ shared history preserved and shared!
We were soon joined by the Texan lady and other visitors. She asked us if we were Scottish, so I replied: “Are you Canadian?” The joke, sadly, went over her heard, which is how we learnt she was from Austin, Texas. The conversation quickly moved on to the subject of guns in Texas, to which the other visitors said there were too many in that state. Guns, politics and religion are three things we never get into when travelling across the U.S., but thankfully the conversation ended without descending into a debate….in front of that Royal Charter!
During our short visit, in addition to the King Charles II Charter, we got to see:
The Independent Man. This newly restored gold statue stood close to the entrance of the State House and was what greeted us inside upon arrival*. Dating from 1899, it normally stands atop the State House’s dome and is expected to be returned there in the fall.
The bell from the U.S.S. Rhode Island (1906), a warship which served in anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic during World War I.
Rhode Island’s September 11th Memorial, which was unveiled in 2022 and featured the names of 9 victims who came from Rhode Island. RIP. We paused there a few moments to pay our respects.
U.S. Marine Corps. statue and accompanying flags.
Declaration of Independence. A large embossed metallic copy was on display on the wall. Rhode Island was, of course, the first colony to declare independence and renounce allegiance to Great Britain’s King George III in 1776.
Liberty Bell replica, as commissioned by President Harry S. Trueman and gifted to each of the then 48 states by U.S. Treasury Department in 1950. Unlike the original in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which we visited in 2017, the Rhode Island replica has no crack!
The Senate Chamber and House Chamber. Bills, resolutions, laws, budgets and more - the place where decisions are made and debated!
We left the State House with one minute to spare, grateful to the people of Rhode Island for being so kind as to allow visitors into such an important building. How astonishing that residents and tourists alike can have access to the state’s seat of power.
That is a sign of true democracy.
📌 RHODE ISLAND STATE HOUSE & CHARTER MUSEUM
82 Smith St., Providence, RI 02903
🌐 www.sos.ri.gov/divisions/civics-and-education/ri-state-house/visitor-information
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