Group wants new Civil War monument in town
BY ANGELA GARY
A group of Jefferson area citizens are interested in seeing a new Civil War monument located downtown.
Michael Bowen presented a proposal to the Jefferson City Council Monday night to replace the current monument with a replica to the original, which was damaged in 1940 resulting in the top of the monument being broken off.
“The beautification of the square and the monument move has created a resurgence of interest in the broken original statue and for a replacement resembling its original grandeur,” Bowen said.
The “Friends of the Monument” group has researched three options for replacing the statue, including marble, granite and bronze. Prices range from $44,000 for a granite statute, $45,000 for a bronze statue and $72,800 for a marble statute.
Bowen said several parts of the original statute remain, including the head, torso and arms. He said these could be used to reproduce the replacement.
In 1911, the Jefferson United Daughters of the Confederacy located the current Civil War monument in downtown. It was damaged 29 years later.
