Rhode Island Town Celebrates Columbus Day by Reinstalling Statue of Explorer

A statue of Christopher Columbus that had been taken down in Providence, Rhode Island, will be unveiled in its new location on Monday.

The statue’s new home is in the town of Johnston, where it was already set up last month by the city in Johnston Memorial Park. It had been purchased by former Providence Mayor Joe Paolino and was donated to Johnston for display and preservation.

“It means a lot,” Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. said last month. “You know, we have a high percentage of Italian Americans here in Johnston, but it goes beyond Italian American history. It’s worth history. It’s important, and I don’t think the majority of people want to see the statue melted. {snip}”

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