City Hall Closed for RI Independence Day

Newport City Hall will be closed today in observation of Rhode Island Independence Day.

May 4 is a state holiday and coincides with the day Rhode Island declared its independence from Great Britain in 1776.

The bold move came in the form of the May 4 1776 Act of Renunciation. Rhode Island was the first state in the colonies to declare independence — a reflection of the state’s radical status at the time.

State lawmakers set aside May 4 as Rhode Island Independence Day in 1908.

Though Rhode Island Independence Day is a state holiday, employers are not required to pay time-and-a-half to workers, nor do most companies treat it as a holiday. In fact, aside from a handful of municipal closures, it will be business as usual for most people.