From Edwin Hubble to a dinosaur: Here are Louisvillians' ideas to replace Castleman statue
This story has been updated to include Friends of Louisville Public Art's proposal for returning the Castleman statue to its original site.
After years of controversy and legal disputes, it is becoming less likely that the statue of John B. Castleman will return to its former position at the center of the roundabout between Cherokee Road and Cherokee Parkway.
The statue of Castleman, a former Confederate soldier who became a U.S. Army brigadier general, has been controversial in Louisville for years. It came to a head in 2020, following the killing of Breonna Taylor by Louisville Metro Police. Many residents found the Castleman statue to be a reminder of racism in the U.S., while defenders of the statue pointed to the rest of Castleman's life – including joining the U.S. Army and contributing to the Louisville parks system.
Still, the Castleman statue was removed from its podium and has been in storage for several years. Despite a legal battle led by the Friends of Louisville Public Art, which was created in response to the statue's removal, the city has no intention – nor legal requirement, courts ruled – of putting it back.
Last month the city revealed that it will seek community input for the future of the roundabout. In that vein, The Courier Journal created its own survey to learn more about what people would like to see in the roundabout.
Twenty-six people responded, 18 of them residents of the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood, seven of them living outside of it and one who did not confirm their demographic data.
Most people were between the ages of 35 and 44, with 17 respondents selecting that category. There were four people in both the 25 to 34 category and the 45 to 54 category.
Just one person answered who was 65 or older.
Note: some respondents gave more than one suggestion, meaning their votes were counted in multiple categories.
By a wide margin, the majority of respondents suggested the city replace the Castleman statue with another type of statue. Historical figures, legendary athletes and even different types of animals were all options that were submitted. Muhammad Ali was one of the suggestions, however creating and displaying a statue of him would go against his Muslim faith.
One person requested that whatever the statue was, it should be created by Ed Hamilton, a Louisville sculptor.
The next highest suggestion was to take out the pedestal and fill it with dirt in order to plant one or multiple trees. One respondent volunteered Kentucky's state tree, a tulip poplar, for it. Another said they wanted a tree that would be decorated for every holiday.
Three respondents suggested that a creation by a local artist would be the best fit for the center of the roundabout. Two others requested that the Castleman statue be returned to its original location.
Friends of Louisville Public Art is also calling for the Castleman statue to return, but the group has proposed an additional memorial honoring Black leaders who fought against the segregation of Louisville parks to be placed across from it.
Meanwhile, one person recommended reconfiguring the entire intersection to create a park.
"Instead of a roundabout, create a single connection between Cherokee Pkwy and Cherokee Road," the respondent wrote. "Then turn Midland and Cherokee Pkwy west of the circle into a park."
Others suggested putting in a fountain, and some said they had no preference at all.
There were 12 specific suggestions for the subject of a replacement statue, including Lamar Jackson and Lottie the Triceratops. Read more about each of them below.
Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @ellie_mccrary.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What should replace the Castleman statue in Louisville? Survey results
