Rhode Island State House installs $70K rug with wrong state seal

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A newly installed $70,000 rug inside the Rhode Island State House is drawing scrutiny after officials discovered it includes an incorrect version of the state seal.

The 1,125-square-foot custom rug was installed in the State Room on the building’s second floor in early February. It features two stitched seals that read “Seal of Rhode Island and Providence,” despite voters approving a 2020 referendum to remove “and Providence Plantations” from the state’s official name.

The rug was purchased from Stark Carpet Corp., a Boston-based company, as part of efforts to update one of the State House’s most prominent public rooms.

For now, the incorrect seals have been covered with round rugs. A spokesperson for the Rhode Island Department of Administration confirmed the error, calling it “human error,” and said plans are in place to fix it. Officials said the incorrect seals will be hand-cut and replaced with updated versions, though a timeline and repair cost have not yet been announced.

It remains unclear how much additional taxpayer money will be needed to correct the mistake, and the vendor has not publicly commented.

The installation was intended to refresh the historic State Room but has instead raised questions about oversight and quality control in state-funded projects.