Members of the public may use a new online portal to comment on a proposal to relocate three Confederate monuments from the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh to the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in southern Johnston County.
The online comment portal is available at https://www.ncdcr.gov/comment-relocation-monuments.
At their Sept. 22, 2017 meeting, the North Carolina Historical Commission voted to postpone any decision regarding the petition from the N.C. Department of Administration to relocate three Confederate monuments from the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh to the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site until their April 2018 meeting. A subcommittee composed of members of the North Carolina Historical Commission was created to study the issue and seek advice and legal opinions from appropriate entities.
At their first meeting Jan. 22, the committee agreed to solicit public comments via an online form.
“I hope that this online comment portal will make it easy and convenient for members of the public to comment on the Department of Administration’s proposal to relocate three Confederate monuments from the State Capitol grounds in Raleigh to the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in Four Oaks, N.C.,” said Susi H. Hamilton, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “The North Carolina Historical Commission and the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources are very interested in hearing what our citizens have to say on this important topic.”
If you prefer to submit comments via postal mail, please use the following address: N.C. Historical Commission Monuments Committee, Attn: Dr. Kevin Cherry, 4610 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699.
Monuments
The three monuments on State Capitol Grounds being considered for relocation from Raleigh to the Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site are all more than 100 years old.
The Henry Lawson Wyatt Monument was dedicated on June 10, 1912 to Wyatt, a native of Edgecombe County. Wyatt is believed to be the first Confederate soldier killed in action.
The Confederate Women’s Monument was dedicated on June 10, 1914. The Confederate Soldiers Monument was dedicated on May 20, 1895.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship.
