A 1922 postcard depicts the original Gaston County Courthouse where the confederate statue was located from 1912 to 1998, when it was relocated to the new courthouse. | City of Gastonia website
A 1922 postcard depicts the original Gaston County Courthouse where the confederate statue was located from 1912 to 1998, when it was relocated to the new courthouse. | City of Gastonia website
Community members protested a Gaston County Board of Commissioners' decision on Aug. 3 to remove a Confederate monument that has been in front of the county courthouse since 1998 after being moved from a previous location.
The controversial monument is that of a Confederate soldier rising 30 feet while on top of a pedestal.
The 6-1 vote sparked a protest with more than a dozen people, WBTV 3 reported on Aug. 8, with signs in some cases saying the governing body "'sold-out' Gaston County history to BLM."
The future of the Confederate monument has been a hot topic for months. The commissioners' vote includes handing over the monument to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, but one protestor, William Carter told WBTV 3 that he is considering legal action to stop the transfer.
“To me, taking it off of public property is the same as cultural genocide,” Carter, who organized the rally, told WBTV. “You’re excluding access to the public for that statue. So, I have certain questions about the SCV’s position on this. I don’t think they have the best interest of the public on this.”
The statue was originally donated to Gaston County by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Gaston Gazette reported on July 13.
An entry on the University of North Carolina website states that the statue was first dedicated in front of the former county courthouse in 1912.
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