Moon rocks, Civil War cannons, artworks and more at gorgeous R.I. State House

PROVIDENCE — It’s no secret that the Rhode Island State House is one of the state’s most iconic buildings — and one of its most vilified.

Indeed, for many Rhode Islanders there are only two reasons to visit the State House, which is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year: one is to watch public officials being sworn in, the other is to swear at them when they mess up.

That’s a shame, and not just because the building itself has no control over what goes on inside its marble-lined chambers and offices. Besides being an architectural gem, the State House is home to a remarkable trove of artworks and artifacts — everything from a full-length portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart to a display of moon rocks from the Apollo 11 moon landing.

In recent years, several efforts have been made to promote the State House as a kind of king-sized living history museum. The state’s 1663 Royal Charter, for example, is now on display in an attractive first floor gallery, along with several other documents dating from the same period.

Dubbed the “Charter Museum,” the display opened last August.

More recently, officials opened the first-ever State House visitors’ center. Conveniently located next to the Charter Museum, the center is open during normal business hours and sells a variety of Rhode Island-themed products, ranging from maps and postcards to books on Rhode Island history.

Yet while the Charter Museum and the visitors’ center are certainly worth a visit, there’s a much better way to sample the State House’s historical treasures. Since 1993, the Secretary of State’s office has offered free guided tours of the building, including visits to the State House library, both legislative chambers and the sumptuous State House reception room.

The tours, which take place weekdays at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and again at 1 and 2 p.m., are led by Johnson & Wales students who are a.) super nice and b.) in command of a scary amount of information about Rhode Island in general and the State House in particular. At least that’s how it seemed when Journal photographer Sandor Bodo and I tagged along on a tour last week.

Our guide was Courtney Hill, a 20-year-old J&W junior majoring in international tourism and hotel management. Right from the start, it was clear she knew her stuff.

“This is one of my favorite stops on the whole tour,” Hill announced after leading the group to a third floor landing with sweeping views of the State House rotunda. “Look up and you’ll see the famous State House dome, which is fourth-largest self-supporting dome in the world. The only larger domes can be found at the Vatican, the Taj Mahal and the Minnesota State House.”

Without missing a beat, Hill went on to explain how long it took to build the State House (nearly 10 years, from 1895 to 1904), how much marble was used in construction (more than 325,000 cubic feet) and who painted the murals that adorn the inside of the dome (Victor Zucchi, an Italian-born artist who went on to design murals for dozens of churches across the U.S.).

Hill also answered the obvious (for Rhode Islanders, anyway) question: How much did the State House cost? The answer: $3.3 million — or about $1 billion in today’s dollars.

“If you ask me, we got a pretty good deal,” she concluded.

When she wasn’t reeling off basic facts and figures, Hill spiced up her presentation with quirky anecdotes and offbeat details. Did you know, for example, that the Independent Man statue that sits atop the State House dome has been hit by lightning 27 times?

In fact, Hill said, the Independent Man was stuck so many times that a lightning rod was added to the statue in 1975. “I’ll bet he feels a lot safer now,” she observed.

Our next stops were to the House and Senate chambers, respectively. Among the interesting details: the beautiful domed ceiling in the Senate chamber is modeled on that of the Pantheon, a Roman-era building that still stands in modern-day Rome; the State House was one of the first buildings in Rhode Island to enjoy electric lighting, a fact attested to by a ring of bare light bulbs that encircles the upper walls of the Senate chamber; nearly all the furniture in both chambers is original, although modern touches such as computer screens and video cameras have also been installed.

Next stop: the State House library.

“In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful rooms in the entire State House,” Hill said as we entered the soaring wood-paneled space. And she was right: Even though you can’t check out a book, the library, which houses about 50,000 volumes filled with important legislative papers, is a beautiful place to visit — a kind of Victorian time capsule, complete with heavy oak desks and cabinets. The one modern note: a display of (very tiny) moon rocks from the Apollo 11 space mission.

“Actually, they’re more like space crumbs,” Hill said, dryly.

From there, it was on the State Room, an ornate space used for receptions and other special occasions. Highlights here included Stuart’s Washington portrait, along with portraits of other notables such as Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and Gen. Nathanael Greene.

Crossing back through the central rotunda, we encountered one of the State House’s newest residents: a full-length statue of Dorr Rebellion leader Thomas Wilson Dorr. Stationed just outside the entrance to the Senate chambers — and created by Jamestown sculptor Joe A. Avarista — Dorr cuts a striking figure, even in a building filled with statues and sculptures.

By now, the tour was nearly up. Still, there were more treasures to come: a Civil War-era cannon used at the Battle of Gettysburg; a series of portraits (many of them recently cleaned and restored) of Rhode Island governors dating back to the 18th century; and, finally, the Royal Charter itself, now encased in a Plexiglas frame and surrounded by a massive metal cabinet.

Speaking of the charter, which celebrated its 350th birthday last year, Hill noted that it specifically grants Rhode Islanders freedom of religion — a move that was virtually unheard of at the time and that remains a cornerstone of American democracy.

“When you come here, you really feel that you’re in the presence of history,” she said. “I don’t know about you, but I think that’s pretty amazing.”

Tours of the Rhode Island State House take place Mon.-Fri. at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and again at 1 and 2 p.m. The tours are free and leave hourly from the State House’s north entrance, facing Smith Street. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the public information desk at the Secretary of State’s office at (401) 222-3983 or by visiting sos.ri.gov. The Charter Museum and the State House visitors’ center do not require advance reservations and are open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.