List of Confederate monuments and memorials in South Carolina facts for kids
This article is about monuments and memorials in South Carolina that honor the Confederate States of America (CSA), its leaders, or soldiers from the American Civil War. These symbols include statues, flags, special holidays, and the names of schools, roads, parks, and other public places. They are part of how the Civil War is remembered in the South.
It's important to know that this list doesn't include historical markers or battlefield parks that were not specifically made to honor the Confederacy. It also doesn't include people connected to the start of the Civil War or white supremacy if they weren't also linked to the Confederacy.
South Carolina has at least 112 public places with Confederate monuments. The state has a law called the South Carolina Heritage Act (2000). This law makes it hard to remove or change historical monuments. To do so, two-thirds of lawmakers in both parts of the state's government must agree.
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Monuments and Memorials
South Carolina State House
The South Carolina State House is the main government building in the state. Several monuments honoring the Confederacy are on its grounds. In 2017, some groups asked the state government to remove these monuments.
- South Carolina's Confederate Dead (1879): This monument is also called the South Carolina Soldiers Monument. It was first shown to a crowd of 15,000 people. Lightning damaged it in 1882, but the state replaced it two years later. It stands on the north side of the State House grounds. From 2000 to 2015, a traditional Confederate Battle Flag flew near this monument. This flag was a big topic of debate and protests. In 2015, lawmakers voted to remove the flag. It is now displayed in the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum.
- Monument to the South Carolina Women of the Confederacy (1912): This is a bronze statue created by Frederic W. Ruckstull.
- Wade Hampton III Confederate Monument (1906): This is a 16-foot bronze statue of a man on a horse, also by Frederick Ruckstull. There is also another statue of Wade Hampton inside the Capitol building.
State Holiday
- Confederate Memorial Day is a state holiday celebrated on May 10. Many state employees have the day off.
- On this day, the Confederate flag is flown at the South Carolina Capitol.
Public Monuments
Courthouse Monuments
Many counties in South Carolina have Confederate monuments near their courthouses.
- Anderson: The Anderson County Confederate Memorial, called "Our Confederate Dead," was dedicated in 1902.
- Bamberg: The Bamberg County Confederate Monument.
- Bishopville: The Lee County Monument to the Confederate Dead was placed at the Lee County Courthouse in 1913.
- Greenwood: A Confederate Monument was dedicated here in 1903.
- Lexington: The Lexington Confederate Monument was put up in 1886.
- Union: The Union County Confederate Memorial was dedicated in 1917.
- York County: York County removed a Confederate flag and pictures of CSA leaders from inside its courtroom. This decision is being challenged in court.
Other Public Monuments
Many other towns and cities in South Carolina have monuments honoring the Confederacy.
- Abbeville: The Abbeville Confederate Monument was built in 1906.
- Aiken: A Confederate Memorial was dedicated in 1901.
- Charleston:
- Confederate Defenders of Charleston: This monument has two bronze statues. One is a male warrior holding a sword and a shield. The other is a female figure representing the City of Charleston. She points towards the sea and holds a laurel garland, a symbol of lasting memory. The base shows scenes of people repairing the walls of Fort Sumter. Eleven stars on the base stand for the eleven Confederate states.
- In Washington Square, there are more monuments:
- A statue of General Pierre Beauregard (1904).
- A smaller version of the Washington Monument (1891) lists battles from the "War Between the States."
- A monument to Henry Timrod (1901), who wrote poems praising the Confederacy.
- Columbia: Besides the State Capitol monuments, the University of South Carolina has buildings named after Confederate figures. The Longstreet Theater is named for James Longstreet, and a dormitory is named for Wade Hampton III.
- Fort Mill:
- Loyal slaves monument (1896): This memorial was built to honor enslaved people who, according to the builders, "toiled for the support of the army with matchless devotion." It shows carvings of enslaved Black people, including a "mammy" figure holding a white baby. This monument is seen as an example of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy movement, which tried to change how the Civil War was remembered.
- Georgetown: A Confederate Monument was placed at Battery White in 1929.
- Greenville: The Confederate Monument was dedicated in 1892.
- Orangeburg: There is a Confederate Monument from 1893 and a Confederate Flag and Monument from 2001.
Named Places
Many places in South Carolina are named after Confederate figures or the Confederacy itself.
- Counties: Bamberg County (1897), Hampton County (1878), and Lee County (1902) are named after Confederate generals.
- Cities: The City of Batesburg-Leesville, Hampton, and the City of Kershaw (1888) are examples.
- Parks: Hampton Park in Charleston and Columbia are named after Wade Hampton. Rivers Bridge State Park in Ehrhardt is also related to the Civil War.
- Roads: Many roads across the state are named after Confederate generals like Beauregard, Bonham, Hampton, Lee, Longstreet, and Stonewall Jackson. Examples include Beauregard Lane in Aiken, Robert E. Lee Lane in Bluffton, and Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greenville.
- Schools:
- Bishopville: Lee Central High School, Lee Central Middle School, and Lee High School are named after Robert E. Lee.
- Blackville: Jefferson Davis Academy is named after the president of the Confederacy.
- Clemson University: The university is named after a Confederate soldier who gave the land for the school.
- Ehrhardt: Jackson Academy (a private school) has athletic teams called the "Confederates."
- Greenville: Wade Hampton High School is named after Wade Hampton.
Other Memorials
- Holly Hill: In 2017, the American, South Carolina, and Confederate flags were put up on private land along a highway. A sign for the Sons of Confederate Veterans is also there. This display has caused protests from local residents.
Images for kids
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Greenwood County Courthouse, Greenwood, South Carolina
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Charleston, South Carolina
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Monument at Battery White
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Orangeburg
