Designed by famed architects McKim, Mead & White, the State House has been returned to its original glory following a 10-year, $17 million restoration that has swept away decades of inappropriate alterations and renewed the elaborate finishes that make this government workplace an artistic treasure.

		"The State House is a symbol of Rhode Island's heritage," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. "Restoration of the expanses of marble involved tracking down and reopening the original quarry - just one example of the high standards of research and craftsmanship that characterized every phase of the project. Long a proud symbol of democratic government, the restored statehouse also testifies to the good stewardship of the legislators who work here - and the citizens of Rhode Island to whom it belongs." In 1992, Governor Sundlun, the State Legislature, and the Rhode Island State House Restoration Society created a public-private partnership built upon the community's strong preservation ethic and began the massive undertaking of restoring their state house. During the series of phases necessary to complete this project, the State House remained fully accessible and operational. Today, this well-researched and exquisitely executed restoration has been completed in all major public areas, including the State Reception Room and Governor's Office, the State Library, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the rotunda, the grand stair and exterior marble terraces. Also completed were essential rewiring and improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and fire safety codes. Domenic Carbone, Jr., AIA, was one of the architects on the restoration project. "The return of the State House to its original splendor, while carefully incorporating 21st century building technology, is a testament to the spirit of Rhode Island's democracy, a spirit most clearly expressed in a quotation taken from its Royal Charter of 1663......To hold forth a lively experiment that a most flourishing civil state may stand and best be maintained with full liberty in religious concernments. It once again stands as a beacon of our State's proud past and a symbol for it's dynamic future."

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