'He's here': Providence's former Christopher Columbus statue will make its debut in Johnston

Providence's former Christopher Columbus statue has moved into its new home in Johnston.

"He's here," Johnston Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. announced Tuesday in a social media post showing a photo of the statue in Johnston Memorial Park.

"A huge thank you to all the companies that donated their time and resources to get this done," Polisena wrote. "Our Columbus Day event will be on Monday, October 9 at 11 a.m."

The bronze statue had stood in Providence since 1893 but drew protests in recent years from critics who said the Italian explorer represented colonialism, slavery and genocide of native people. The statue was splashed with paint numerous times.

How did the Columbus statue end up in Johnston?

In June 2020, the statue was removed from Providence's Columbus Square and put into storage, but former Providence Mayor Joseph Paolino Jr. later bought it for $50,000 and offered it to Johnston. Paolino called the statue "a symbol of Italian culture," said he didn't want to see it melted down and turned to scrap metal.

Polisena accepted Paolino's offer because, he said, an "incredibly high percentage," 49.5%, of Johnston's population is Italian-American, and Columbus is a "very important figure for Italian-Americans." Beyond that, he said, Columbus is an important figure in world history. "What he did really ushered in the modern era," Polisena said. "It was the age of discovery."

"I think everyone acknowledges there was some bad in there," he said, adding, "I don't judge people who lived 500 years ago based on modern standards. I'm sure 500 years from now, people will look back on some of the things we did, and say, 'I can't believe they did that.' "

Reaction to the statue from "everyone who's reached out to me personally has all been positive," Polisena said. He acknowledged some residents might be unhappy about the move, but said they could take solace in knowing their tax money isn't being spent on the statue.

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Several businesses and individuals donated time and goods to transport the 6,000-pound statue, put it in place and ensure it's protected by a fence and a security system with a live video feed to the police station, he said. Polisena estimated the value of the donations and labor at more than $10,000.

As of Wednesday, the statue was covered with a blue tarp as it awaits its unveiling on Columbus Day, a celebration that Polisena says will include food trucks.

"I'm hoping to make it an annual event," he said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence's former Columbus statue spotted in Johnston park