Rhode Island State House

McKim, Mead & White won a national competition to design this building, broke ground in 1895, and finished nine years later. The result: 327,000 cubic feet of white Georgia marble, 15 million bricks, and the fourth largest self-supported marble dome in the world — behind St. Peter's Basilica, the Minnesota State Capitol, and the Taj Mahal. On top stands The Independent Man, an 11-foot gilded bronze figure installed in 1899. Inside, the original Rhode Island Royal Charter of 1663 is on permanent display. It is free and open to the public on weekdays.