Controversial Confederate Soldier Statue To Be Relocated Soon

ROCKVILLE, MD — The controversial Confederate soldier statue — a focus of community debate since it was vandalized with graffiti and residents and leaders disagreed on where to keep the monument — will soon be relocated from the front of the Red Brick Courthouse to an undisclosed location in Montgomery County. General Services Director David Dise said a request for proposals to move the monument will be advertised in the next two weeks, according to reports.

Rockville leaders voted 4-1 against accepting the disputed statue at the Beall Dawson Historical Park in February 2016. Many felt a monument tied to slavery or the Confederacy was inappropriate, but there were a slew of others reasons why the statue was turned down, including costs of lighting, maintenance and security.

Confederate flags and memorials are seen as a reminder of Southern heritage by some, while many African-Americans have said the legacy is one of slavery and hate.

In July 2016, the 11,000-pound statue was vandalized. "Black Lives Matter" and other phrases were graffitied onto the statue, which prompted city officials to keep the statue boxed up in front of the court house as it remains today.

See Also: Removal of Confederate Memorials Weighed 150 Years After Civil War, Confederate Monument Vandalized in Rockville, What Should Rockville, County Do With Confederate Statue?

Dise told Montgomery Community Media that county officials are doing an "exhaustive search of different locations" for the statue to be moved to.

There are no details on the relocation or the cost of the move so far.

Patch File Photo