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Commissioners OK Plan To Keep Denton Confederate Statue On Square — With Context

CameliaTWU
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Flickr Creative Commons
The statue depicts an armed Confederate soldier standing on an arch with the inscription, "Our Confederate Soldiers."

Denton County commissioners have unanimously approved a plan to keep the Confederate statue located on the south side of the historic Courthouse on the Square lawn — with added historical context. 

Commissioners voted Tuesday on a recommendation made by Denton's Confederate monument advisory committee. On Thursday, committee members decided to suggest keeping the century-old statue in place and adding a plaque and informational video to the monument. 

The Denton Record-Chronicle reported: "The recommendation includes keeping the 100-year-old statue of a Confederate soldier on the Courthouse on the Square lawn, but adding video kiosks for historical context and a large plaque denouncing slavery. Commissioners will continue to discuss the logistics of the kiosks and the wording on the plaque, but many said they want to get moving on the project as soon as possible."

A cost estimate for the project hasn't been proposed yet.

The statue depicts an armed Confederate soldier standing on an arch with the inscription, "Our Confederate Soldiers." It was dedicated in 1918. 

The courthouse and the surrounding area are classified as a national and state landmark.

Credit Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons
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Wikimedia Commons

There have been several public meetings and protests on the issue. 

According to the Record-Chronicle: “The contention around the monument derives from some residents' feeling that the statue is a symbol of racism. Others say removing it would be an attempt to erase history.”

The monument has been vandalized in the past.