- [David] When Christopher Columbus was finally removed from this Providence street corner, a few activists stood by to applaud.

- [Activists] Take it down, take it down!

- [David] Protestors had repeatedly defaced the statue.

- It was a shocking sight for many this Columbus Day, vandals target a statue of Christopher Columbus in the capital city.

- [David] Splattered with red paint from head to toe, the message, "Stop celebrating genocide," chained the base.

So in June of 2020, Providence officials finally ordered Columbus to be carted away.

- I would be fine if the statue got destroyed or turned into something else.

I support taking down any Christopher Columbus statues.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- [David] Even if it's an historic statue that stood there for 100 years and is important to the Italian community?

Doesn't matter?

- That's okay with me.

- He was a colonizer.

What he did was terrible for the sovereignty of indigenous nations.

So it's good that we are moving past monuments that celebrate.

- What's happening in society today, I mean, it's crazy.

I mean, it's part of history, Christopher Columbus.

- [David] Former Providence mayor, Joe Paolino, wasn't happy about that at all.

- Look, I don't know if Columbus was a good guy or a bad guy.

I'm glad he made it easier for my family and your family to live here.

And you know, we don't have a lot of symbols, Italian Americans, but Christopher Columbus is one of them.

- Cast originally in solid silver right here in Providence by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, and later recast in bronze, the statue has artistic significance.

It was made by the same French sculptor who made the Statue of Liberty, commissioned for the Colombian exposition of 1892, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the explorer's arrival in the new world.

For more than a century, the statue stood here in the Elmwood section of Providence, not far from the Gorham manufacturing plant where it was cast.

In fact, if you pull up Google Maps, this little park is still called Columbus Square.

It's since been rebranded as Reservoir Triangle.

And this is where the statue once stood.

An empty platform now.

You might say the future of this space has yet to be discovered.

Some neighborhood residents miss the old statue.

- It was a landmark for people to get off from the bus, and for me to tell people where to get off.

- So it was practical?

- It was practical.

And now what I have to use is, "Stop on Subway or Walgreens."

- Columbus, meanwhile, was in storage for two years while the city of Providence decided what to do with him.

Finally, city officials auctioned him off, and former Mayor Paolino bought him.

How much?

- It was $50,000.

- $50,000?

- Yeah, it was a lot of money.

- Wow.

Paolino offered Columbus to the city of Johnston, Rhode Island.

Nearly half the population there is Italian American, including Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. - I think Columbus is an important historical figure.

And I understand the controversy that comes with him, but he can still be celebrated for the good things that he did.

(protestors cheering) - [David] The removal of the Providence statue came at a time when protestors were tearing down Confederate monuments across the country.

But Polisena says Columbus is in an entirely different category from the Confederates.

- What happened with Columbus happened more than a half of a millennium ago.

It was 500 years ago.

And I do not judge people who lived 500 years ago based on today's standards.

- [David] He's given Columbus a new home in a public park on an island, still under wraps until its unveiling Columbus Day.

Do you think he'll be safe here?

- Oh, I think Mayor Polisena picked a great location for it to be at.

It's gorgeous.

The setting's lovely.

The people in Johnson are just great.

And I think the community's gonna make sure it's protected.

- [David] The great explorer will even get to look out over water for the rest of his days.

- By bringing the Christopher Columbus statue here to the town of Johnston, we're enhancing Johnston, Johnston's enhancing us, and if Providence didn't want it, you know, that's their business.

I get it.

I understand it.

Let's not argue about it, let's just move on and go in another direction.

- In fairness, this is a much prettier spot.

- Much prettier, yeah.

No, I think it's great.

I hope all Rhode Islanders can come here and enjoy this beautiful memorial park that they have in Johnston and be able to also celebrate Columbus.

I have a feeling Columbus Day celebrations are now going to be right here in the town of Johnston.

- [David] Do you think they'll rename it Columbus Park?

- [Joe] May be a good name for it.