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Providence, the capital of Rhode Island

The capital of Rhode Island is Providence, the sole seat of government since 1901. For more than two centuries before that, the General Assembly had no single home: it rotated among five county seats until 1854 and then alternated between Newport and Providence. Providence's marble State House, designed by McKim, Mead and White, has one of the largest self-supporting marble domes in the world.

Verified October 23, 2026 against the Rhode Island Department of State

Five capitals at once

Rhode Island’s government was unusually mobile. From the time of the 1663 Royal Charter, the General Assembly did not sit in one place but moved its sessions among state houses built in the five county seats: Newport, Providence, Kingston in South Kingstown, East Greenwich and Bristol. Each new session year opened in Newport in May.

Newport’s Colony House dates from 1739, and Providence’s Old State House on Benefit Street from 1762. In Kingston, the Kings County courthouse hosted sessions of the General Assembly from 1776 to 1853.

Two capitals, then one

In 1854 a constitutional amendment ended the five-way rotation, and for the next half century the legislature met only in Newport and Providence, alternating between them. The shared arrangement ended in 1901, when state government moved into the new marble State House on Smith Hill in Providence, leaving Providence as the only capital.

The State House

The State House was designed by McKim, Mead and White between 1891 and 1894 and built from 1895 to 1904. It is faced with white Georgia marble, and its self-supporting marble dome is described by the secretary of state as the fourth largest of its kind in the world.

On top of the dome stands a bronze figure holding a spear and leaning on an anchor, known as the Independent Man. Its sculptor, George Brewster, originally titled it Hope, after the state motto.

Treasures inside

The State House’s Royal Charter Museum displays the colony’s 1663 Royal Charter, and Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington hangs in the State Reception Room.

Visiting

Free docent-led tours run on weekdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. See the secretary of state’s tour page for details.

Questions about Rhode Island's capital

What is the capital of Rhode Island?
Providence, the only capital since 1901.
Did Rhode Island have more than one capital?
Yes. Until 1854 the legislature rotated among five county seats, Newport, Providence, Kingston, East Greenwich and Bristol. From 1854 to 1901 it alternated between Newport and Providence.
What is the statue on top of the Rhode Island State House?
A bronze figure known as the Independent Man, holding a spear and leaning on an anchor. Its sculptor, George Brewster, originally titled it Hope.
Where can I see the Rhode Island Royal Charter?
In the Royal Charter Museum inside the State House, which displays the colony's 1663 charter.
Can you tour the Rhode Island State House?
Yes. Free docent-led tours run on weekdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

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