The Rhode Island State House in Providence stands as one of the finest examples of Neoclassical architecture in the United States. Designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1904, the building features white Georgia marble construction with a dome ranked second in size only to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Graciano Corporation performed a comprehensive two-year restoration of the Capitol, completed June 12, 1989, involving 51,069 man-hours of skilled labor by a team of 35 artisans.
Scope of Work
The restoration addressed the full exterior of the marble building, from the dome and columns to the retaining walls, balustrades, steps, and ornamental metalwork.
- Hand surface cleaning to preserve stone patina
- White Georgia marble repair and stabilization
- Replacement of approximately 40 tons of Georgia marble
- Marble step replacement and resetting (35 steps, 120 feet each)
- Replacement of four carved marble modillions (2,000 lbs each)
- Mortar analysis, matching, and repointing
- Lead cap removal and replacement at parapet joints
- East retaining wall dismantling and resetting stone-by-stone
- Dome epoxy injection for structural soundness
- Column crack repair
- Balustrade and coping removal, repair, and replacement
- Ornamental metalwork cleaning and waterproofing
About the Project
The Rhode Island State House is built of over 15 million stone units and bricks supported by more than 1,300 tons of iron beams. Its fourth-largest self-supporting dome in the world -- constructed of white Georgia marble -- required epoxy injection and careful structural stabilization to ensure its long-term integrity without disturbing the building's historic appearance.
Marble work at this scale demands precise material matching. Graciano sourced nearly 40 tons of replacement Georgia marble from the original quarry to ensure color and texture consistency with the existing stone. Four ornate marble modillions, each weighing approximately 2,000 pounds, were custom-carved and installed. Marble steps extending 120 feet were removed, reset, and repaired throughout the project.
The east retaining wall presented a particularly complex challenge: the entire wall was dismantled stone by stone and rebuilt to address foundation and drainage issues while preserving the original material. Ornamental metalwork throughout the building was cleaned and waterproofed to complement the restored stone.
