CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Members of the Harrison County Commission took several comments from the public but took no action Wednesday on whether to remove the statue of Stonewall Jackson from in front of the county courthouse in Clarksburg.
The chairman of the West Virginia Black Heritage Festival, Jim Griffin, was one of the speakers calling on the commission to remove the statue.
“The Board of Directors of the West Virginia Black Heritage Festival and the African-American citizens of Harrison County firmly believe Confederate monuments do not belong in any public space in the state of West Virginia,” Griffin said.
Last week commissioners heard from more than 50 people, Wednesday, 30 people attended the meeting in-person or via Zoom.
Lifelong Harrison County resident Faith Dickson told commissioners she has always questioned why the statue was placed on the lawn of the courthouse.
“I questioned there was a statue of a Confederate soldier on the front of a courthouse in a Union state, I didn’t understand it then and I don’t understand it now” Dickson said. “The soldiers in his army shot and killed the soldiers in the army of the United States of America.”
Clarksburg History Museum President Michael Spatafore offered three possible locations for the statue, one at the museum and two other locations in downtown Clarksburg.
“I don’t know if you’re having another vote today or not, but whether you vote today or have another at another time,” Spatafore said. “We at the Clarksburg History Museum Committee would like to be involved in making this work for everybody.”
During the June 17 meeting, commissioner David Hinkle made a motion to have the statue returned to the Daughters of the Confederacy. Commission president Ron Watson seconded the motion but it failed in a 2-1 vote with Hinkle the only “yes.”
The Daughters of the Confederacy erected the statue in the early 1950s. It along with statues of Confederate figures have come under fire in recent weeks following days of protests for social justice.
Black Heritage Festival board member Angelica Scott told commissioners when the statue was erected the police in Harrison County was “separate but equal,” but she said there was no equality for people of color. Scott said that makes walking by the statue even more offensive.
“We are well aware that the relocation of this monument will not erase this country’s long history of slavery,” she told the commission.”However, it sends a message that the deplorable history of our county, of our country and state is neither condoned or respected.”
No motions were made by commissioners following the presentation.