The John B. Castleman statue was vandalized for the fifth time Thursday, hours after Louisville's landmarks commission ruled it can be removed from the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood where it has rested for decades.
White paint was splattered onto the statue Thursday evening, covering up some of the orange paint that was first thrown on the statue in August 2017 following the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Following an at-times testy discussion, the landmarks commission voted Thursday 5-3 to side with Mayor Greg Fischer's administration and allow the city to relocate the statue.
Fischer first called for moving the statue of the Confederate soldier last August, when he argued Louisville shouldn't "maintain statues that serve as validating symbols for racist or bigoted ideology."
The latest: Louisville can move Castleman statue from Cherokee Triangle, commission rules
But in January, the Cherokee Triangle Architectural Review Committee did not approve an application to move the piece.
Fischer's administration appealed, which led to Thursday's landmarks commission vote.
"Although John B. Castleman made civic contributions to Louisville, he also fought to keep men, women and children bonded in the chains of slavery and touted his role in the Civil War in his autobiography years later," Fischer said after the vote.
"We cannot and should not erase our history, but it is important that art and monuments displayed on public property reflect our values today as a welcoming city," he added in his statement.
Constructed in 1913, the 15-foot bronze statue has drawn controversy — and attracted vandals — related to Castleman's time in the Confederate army serving under John Hunt Morgan, the notorious leader of Morgan's Raiders.
After vandals first hit the statue with orange paint in August 2017, another can of orange paint was thrown on the statue in February 2018.
In April 2018, the word "RACIST" was emblazoned on one side and "TRAITOR" on the other.
The fourth instance of vandalism came in November, when the words “No Borders” and “House Homeless” were painted on the statue.
The landmarks commission chairman, Chris Hartman, said Thursday that the Cherokee Triangle Architectural Review Committee had failed to provide any written findings of fact when declining to approve removal of the Castleman statue.
Under city rules, that decision was "clearly erroneous" and had to be overturned, Hartman said.
The landmarks commission decision can be appealed to a circuit court within 30 days.
City officials said they had reached an agreement in principle with Cave Hill Cemetery to relocate the monument in the cemetery where Castleman himself is buried.
The statue has evoked different feelings for residents around the city.
Many supporters have argued Castleman's life was a complex one that shouldn't be based solely on his service during the Civil War for the Confederacy.
They pointed out how Castleman eventually became a brigadier general in the U.S. Army after he was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson.
And supporters noted that he helped create Cherokee Park and several other prominent parks in Louisville.
A controversial statue: 5 things to know about John B. Castleman
But opponents have said Castleman supported the racial segregation of those same parks.
Critics have also said statues of Confederate symbols are unwelcome in Louisville and do not represent what the city looks like today.
"My threshold question was whether the Castleman statue would be appropriate in a predominately African-American neighborhood," Fischer tweeted in August, when he announced the city's intent to move the statue. "The answer obviously is NO. It would be viewed as disrespectful of a historic and painful past."
Any replacements of the statue, located at the Cherokee Road and Cherokee Parkway roundabout, could be subject to the Cherokee Triangle Architectural Review Committee's approval.
This story may be updated.
Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2019/05/10/confederate-statues-louisville-kentucky-castleman-statue-vandalized-fifth-time/1161883001/
2019-05-10 11:44:00Z
CBMilgFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jb3VyaWVyLWpvdXJuYWwuY29tL3N0b3J5L25ld3MvbG9jYWwvMjAxOS8wNS8xMC9jb25mZWRlcmF0ZS1zdGF0dWVzLWxvdWlzdmlsbGUta2VudHVja3ktY2FzdGxlbWFuLXN0YXR1ZS12YW5kYWxpemVkLWZpZnRoLXRpbWUvMTE2MTg4MzAwMS_SAS5odHRwczovL2FtcC5jb3VyaWVyLWpvdXJuYWwuY29tL2FtcC8xMTYxODgzMDAx
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Castleman statue vandalized again hours after a vote to remove it from Cherokee Triangle - Courier Journal"
Post a Comment