Confederate Statue Removed Overnight in Downtown Edenton
EDENTON, N.C. — After more than a century in public view, a Confederate monument in downtown Edenton was removed late Saturday night under court order, ending years of heated debate.
Statue Taken Down Overnight
The two-hour removal began at 11:01 p.m. on Aug. 30 and concluded by 1:30 a.m. Sunday. Crews transported the statue to the old Chowan County Jail, where it now sits inside a walled enclosure. Officials say it will eventually be relocated to Veterans Memorial Park, though no site preparation has yet begun.
The action followed an Aug. 18 ruling by Superior Court Judge Wayland J. Sermons, who vacated an injunction that had allowed the Sons of Confederate Veterans to keep the monument in place since 1961.
Years of Protests and Debate
The statue, first installed in 1909 outside the historic courthouse before being moved to South Broad Street decades later, had become the focus of weekly protests for nearly three years.
On Aug. 9, monument supporters marched at the site, a development that may have influenced officials to act under the cover of night.
The Move the Monument Coalition welcomed the removal, calling the statue “a blight on the town’s landscape” and stressing their opposition to placing it on any public property.
Town Leaders Defend Decision
Mayor W. Hackney High defended the council’s decision, saying it was about principle and public safety. “True leadership means stepping forward, not backing away, in the face of difficult issues,” he said. The mayor emphasized that the monument is not being erased but preserved through relocation, and that removing it at night helped avoid potential conflict downtown.
Legal Challenges Remain
The Sons of Confederate Veterans are considering an appeal, and five local plaintiffs have filed a separate lawsuit challenging plans to relocate the statue to the courthouse site. That case has not yet been heard.
Meanwhile, the removal comes as part of the broader Harbortown waterfront project, a $25 million redevelopment effort that has also influenced the town’s decision to relocate the monument.
Edenton’s overnight removal of its Confederate monument marks a turning point in a long local dispute. Do you believe relocating the statue preserves history in the right way, or should Confederate monuments be removed entirely from public spaces? Share your views at SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
