Plan to re-erect confederate monument in Manatee County delayed, alternate sites in play
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Manatee County officials will table a discussion scheduled for Tuesday over plans to resurrect a controversial monument honoring confederate soldiers.
The postponement will give commissioners an opportunity to consider alternative locations for the monument. Although options have not yet been discussed, two potential sites could include the Gamble Plantation Historic State Park or the Manatee Historical Village Park.
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The obelisk bearing the names of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis includes an inscription that indicates it was erected by the Judah P. Benjamin chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in June 1924 in honor of confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War.
It stood in front of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse until August 2017, when it was removed under the veil of the night at the direction of Manatee County commissioners following protests by hundreds of concerned residents passionately representing both sides.
At the time, the board indicated the monument would be relocated, but the obelisk broke in multiple pieces during the removal process and would need to be repaired.
Officials indicated new locations could include the Gamble Plantation, purchased in 1925 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and donated to the state as a memorial to Benjamin, who served in three cabinet positions under Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
Benjamin stayed at the plantation in May 1865, before fleeing from the Union forces and sailing to England.
Approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection would be necessary to relocate and re-erect the monument at the state park.
The county previously proposed relocation of the 22-foot tall monument to the plantation site in 2018, although it was declined by the department's former leadership.
If approval is not granted, officials could also consider an option to instead re-erect the statue at the Manatee Historical Village Park. The open-air museum features a collection of historical buildings, exhibits, and a steam engine related to Manatee County history.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Manatee County to delay plans on confederate monument
