Warren council agrees to reproduce Osamequin portrait to hang alongside Lord Admiral Warren

The Warren Town Council approved a plan to reproduce and display a portrait of Osamequin (Massasoit) in the council chamber next to the town's existing portrait of Lord Admiral Warren.

A presenter (speaker 19) and representatives of local historical organizations described the proposed reproduction as a way to acknowledge the Pokanoket people's role in early colonial history and to give visitors fuller context when they enter town hall. The presenter said the original painting is held by the Warren Preservation Society and suggested producing a larger reproduction so the two portraits would be visually balanced. "This is an opportunity for the town to recognize the original name of the town and to acknowledge the importance of a person who fundamentally changed America," one speaker said.

Council members discussed framing, relative scale and provenance; the presenter said the artist and tribal contacts support the effort and that the original would remain in the library. The council passed a motion directing organizers to return with a final proposal and to make the two reproductions proportionate so they fit the chamber wall and appear visually balanced. Members requested to review the final mock‑ups before hanging the work.