Confederate Statue Move Rejected By Rockville Council

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ROCKVILLE, MD — The fate of the controversial Confederate soldier monument outside the Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville – which had seemed destined for a local park – is again up in the air.

Montgomery County and Rockville officials have been discussing for months what to do with the statue. And in December, the statue’s relocation to Beall Dawson Historic Park was approved by the Rockville Historic District Commission, reports Montgomery Community Media .

But the move required the approval of the Rockville City Council, as well, and council members raised all kinds of questions Monday night as the measure was rejected.

One council member wondered why the statue was deemed suitable for city land if it wasn’t appropriate on county land, another questioned city upkeep costs, and yet another said they didn’t have a solution. [See more coverage of the council’s discussion on Montgomery Community Media.]

Confederate memorials have been the targets of scorn after a man gunned down nine African-Americans in a Charleston, S.C. church last summer. Dylan Roof posed with a Confederate battle flag in online photos and spoke of his desire for a new race war.

In July, the monument in Rockville was vandalized, with ”Black Lives Matter” and other graffiti spray painted on the base.

SEE ALSO:

• Letter to Editor: Confederate Statue Unfit to Stand on Public Land
• Confederate Monument Vandalized in Rockville
• Removal of Confederate Memorials Weighed 150 Years After Civil War

County General Services Director David Dise, who has worked to find a new home for the statue after County Executive Ike Leggett said he wanted it moved, said he needs to discuss the most recent vote with Leggett.

City Spokesperson Mary Lou Berg said the conditions for the move, are:

• The mayor and council must approve the use of the Beall Dawson Historic Park
• The monument must face west
• The commission must review of landscaping, illumination and interpretive signage and consider any security issues for the neighborhood
• The interpretation must be a necessary part of the applicant’s return to the commission.

»File photo of Confederate Soldier statue in Rockville