Athens Confederate Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Athens Confederate Monument |
|
|---|---|
The monument in 2007
|
|
| Year | 1872 |
| Medium |
|
| Location | Athens, Georgia, U.S. |
The Athens Confederate Monument was a special stone structure built to remember soldiers from the Confederate States of America who fought in the American Civil War. It used to stand in the middle of Broad Street in Athens, Georgia, United States. This monument was a tall, pointed stone pillar called an obelisk, made from white Carrara marble. It sat on a granite base. Names of soldiers from Athens who died in the war were carved into it. The monument has now been taken apart and is being put back together in a new spot near Barber Creek.
What the Monument Looks Like
The monument has two main parts. The top part is a tall, pointed pillar, or obelisk, made of beautiful white Carrara marble. This marble is famous for being very pure and white. The bottom part is a strong base made of granite. Only the marble obelisk has names carved into it. These are the names of white Confederate soldiers from Athens who died during the Civil War. One soldier who fought in the war wanted the names to be listed in ABC order, not by their military rank. He thought this would show that all their deaths were equally important. However, his wish was not followed.
A man named William King, who was a leader of a local Masonic Lodge (a type of club), put a time capsule inside the monument's base when it was first built. He said this time capsule held items from the Confederacy and a list of local Freemasons. This time capsule was taken out when the monument was moved most recently.
History of the Monument
This monument was one of the first structures built in the Southern United States to honor those who died in the American Civil War. Work on the monument started on May 5, 1871, and it was finished on June 3, 1872. It cost about $4,444.44 at the time, which would be like $933,000 today. A group called the Ladies' Memorial Association raised this money from the people of Athens. However, some people, like professor Akela Reason, think that wealthy men in the city actually paid for it. She suggested it might have been easier for women to create a memorial to mourn the dead, while men might have wanted to build something that showed defiance.
The monument has been moved two times before its most recent relocation. It was first put up where College Avenue and Washington Street meet. Later, it was moved one block north to the center of College Avenue. But it caused traffic problems there. So, in 1912, it was moved again. It then stood in the middle of Broad Street until August 10, 2020.
Moving the Monument in 2020
Because many people in Athens wanted it moved, the mayor, Kelly Girtz, decided to move the monument from downtown in 2020. Moving Confederate monuments can be tricky because of a state law called Senate Bill 77. This law usually stops cities from moving such monuments from important public places to less noticeable ones. However, there was a way around this law that allowed the monument to be moved.
On June 16, 2020, the mayor suggested a plan that would cost $450,000. This plan was to move the monument from Broad Street to Timothy Place. This new spot is close to where the only small battle of the Civil War in Athens happened, near Barber Creek. The city leaders approved the mayor's plan on June 25. This move was also part of a bigger plan to make the area around Broad Street safer and easier for people to walk in.
Work to remove the monument from Broad Street began on August 10. It is being moved as planned by the city leaders. For now, it is being kept in a field. It will be put on its new base at the new location in October or November.
