Norfolk Confederate Monument
{{Short description|Confederate memorial in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox artwork
| title = Norfolk Confederate Monument
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| image = Main and Commercial, Norfolk CSA monument.jpg
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| caption = The monument in 2017
| artist = J. D. Couper and William Couper
| year = 1907
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| subject = Confederate soldier
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| condition = Relocated to Elmwood Cemetery
| museum = Norfolk Southern Museum
| city = Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
| coordinates = {{Coord|36|50|44.6|N|76|17|19.1|W|type:landmark_region:US-VA|display=inline,title}}
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The Norfolk Confederate Monument was a Confederate memorial in front of the Norfolk Southern Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. The monument was removed in June 2020.
Description and history
The initiative to build the monument was taken by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, as one of many Confederate monuments they established throughout the country. Construction of the monument began on February 22, 1898, when the cornerstone was laid; it was completed in 1907 and dedicated on May 16 that year.{{Cite web |url=https://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!27528~!0#focus |title=The Norfolk Confederate Monument, (sculpture). |work=Art Inventories Catalog |publisher=Smithsonian American Art Museum |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612143315/https://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!27528~!0#focus |url-status=live }} The artists involved were J. D. Couper (designer) and William Couper (sculptor) from
Couper Marble Works. It features the text "Our Confederate Dead, 1861–1865", the letters "CSA" (from "Confederate States of America"), a Confederate battle flag, and the statue of an unidentified Confederate soldier, who is often referred to as "Johnny Reb". The monument was removed in 1965 to make room for the construction of the Virginia National Bank, but reinstalled six years later in 1971 at about 150 feet from its original location.
=Removal=
In the 21st century, there were several calls and legal attempts to have the monument removed, and it was vandalized at least once.{{Cite news |url=https://mynorthwest.com/1487272/mckenna-norfolk-confederate-monument/ |title=Rob McKenna: Newest Confederate monument argument likely won't work |author=Dyer Oxley |work=KIRO-FM |date=August 22, 2019 |access-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612140116/https://mynorthwest.com/1487272/mckenna-norfolk-confederate-monument/ |url-status=live }} In early June 2020, during the George Floyd protests, the Norfolk City Council announced plans to remove the Norfolk Confederate Monument by August 2020. The Downtown Norfolk Council announced that it would no longer clean the monument.{{cite news|title=Norfolk's Confederate monument could be removed as soon as August|newspaper=Norfolk Daily Press|first=Ryan|last=Murphy|date=June 3, 2020|url=https://www.dailypress.com/government/local/vp-nw-norfolk-confederate-monument-removal-schedule-20200603-ysy76gdkmfab3iy72jk56gkgta-story.html9|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213140143/https://www.dailypress.com/government/local/vp-nw-norfolk-confederate-monument-removal-schedule-20200603-ysy76gdkmfab3iy72jk56gkgta-story.html9|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 13, 2023}}
On June 12, 2020, the "Johnny Reb" statue was removed by crane from the top of the monument under orders of Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander. Mayor Alexander acknowledged that the state law allowing the monument to be removed had not yet gone into effect. The removal was expedited because of public safety concerns after a protester sustained life-threatening injuries in neighboring Portsmouth days earlier after being hit by a falling statue during protests against the Portsmouth Confederate Monument.{{Cite news|url=https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Statue-of-Confederate-soldier-removed-from-downtown-Norfolk-571223311.html|title=Statue of Confederate soldier removed from downtown Norfolk|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=June 12, 2020|archive-date=June 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613030136/https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Statue-of-Confederate-soldier-removed-from-downtown-Norfolk-571223311.html|url-status=live}} Crews later dismantled the 60 foot marble column.{{cite news|title=Norfolk's Confederate Monument is all but gone from downtown. Now what?|newspaper=The Virginian-Pilot|first=Ryan|last=Murphy|date=June 22, 2020|url=https://www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-norfolk-confederate-monument-removal-update-20200622-4wkqsutpzfbyvkrtjvbsl4ueoa-story.html|access-date=June 24, 2020|archive-date=June 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624073748/https://www.pilotonline.com/government/local/vp-nw-norfolk-confederate-monument-removal-update-20200622-4wkqsutpzfbyvkrtjvbsl4ueoa-story.html|url-status=live}} Mayor Alexander said the "Johnny Reb" statue would be put into storage, and an upcoming hearing would determine the future location of the monument.{{Cite news|url=https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/mayor-norfolk-confederate-monument-to-come-down/291-d3fde5e3-bdf5-46c5-9b3c-68327f5a2e71|title=Crews remove 'Johnny Reb' statue from Confederate monument in Downtown Norfolk|date=June 12, 2020|access-date=June 12, 2020|archive-date=June 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613030138/https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/mayor-norfolk-confederate-monument-to-come-down/291-d3fde5e3-bdf5-46c5-9b3c-68327f5a2e71|url-status=live}} The monument was then relocated to the Elmwood Cemetery north of downtown Norfolk, where it was reconstructed minus the column that made up the middle section.{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Brett |title=Sons of Confederate Veterans praises Norfolk’s handling of monument relocation |url=https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/norfolk/sons-of-confederate-veterans-praises-norfolks-handling-of-monument-relocation/ |access-date=February 5, 2025 |work=WAVY.com |date=December 10, 2020}}
See also
{{Portal|Visual arts}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!27528~!0#focus The Norfolk Confederate Monument, (sculpture).] at Smithsonian Institution
{{Monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests}}
Category:1907 establishments in Virginia
Category:Buildings and structures in Norfolk, Virginia
Category:Confederate States of America monuments and memorials in Virginia
Category:Marble sculptures in Virginia
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Virginia
Category:Removed Confederate States of America monuments and memorials
Category:Sculptures of men in Virginia
Category:Statues removed in 2020
Category:Monuments and memorials in Virginia removed during the George Floyd protests