Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
One hundred fifty-three years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, a monument celebrating freedom for the slaves will be
erected in Fluvanna.
The Emancipation Proclamation monument will take its place alongside a Confederate
monument, a World War memorial, and other historical markers scattered throughout the
county.
But the actual spot at which the monument will come to rest is uncertain. And the
emotions that edged the voices of those politely discussing the matter showed that even
153 years later, there are wounds that haven’t healed.
The monument
Leading the push to erect the monument is the Fluvanna Historical Society. Marvin Moss,
the society’s president, pointed to an address delivered by Gov. Terry McAuliffe in April
2015 commemorating the 150 th anniversary, or sesquicentennial, of the liberation of
Richmond’s slaves at the end of the Civil War in 1865.
“The governor put out a proclamation about the Emancipation Proclamation and its
sesquicentennial and we thought it would be a good idea to have a memorial here in
Fluvanna County,” Moss said. “It is one of the most historic events in the history of the
United States.”
Tricia Johnson and Judy Mickelson, current and past executive directors of the historical
society, trekked over to Luck Stone in Charlottesville to pick out what they described as
“the perfect stone” for the memorial. They selected one rich in grays and purples,
spangled with rust-colored patterns and standing four feet by three feet high.
1/6
Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
A brass plaque affixed to the stone will read something like, “To commemorate the
sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the American Civil
War,” said Johnson.
Deciding what the monument should look like is the easy part. Deciding where it should
go, as it turns out, is harder.
Pleasant Grove House
Moss stood before the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 2 and outlined the
historical society’s request to place the monument by the Pleasant Grove House.
But eyes turned to Supervisor Mozell Booker as Moss acknowledged that Booker didn’t
agree with a Pleasant Grove location for the monument.
“Our initial inclination was to put it in Civil War Park,” said Moss, referring to the small
park in Palmyra’s court square which, until September 2015, was known as Confederate
Park. But the park is not handicapped accessible, said Moss.
By contrast, Moss said, the area outside of the Pleasant Grove House is “very
accessible” and sees “a lot” of visitors.
“If the accessibility problem can be solved, we would have no problem with putting it
there,” Moss said.
Civil War Park
“It has been for a long time a quiet kind of hurt as African Americans approached the
county seat here, but no one has said anything,” said Booker a year ago as the county
discussed whether to rename what was then known as Confederate Park.
With this in mind, Booker said she hopes to make Civil War Park a place where all
Fluvanna residents will feel at home.
2/6
Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
“My desire is to put [the Emancipation Proclamation monument] in the Civil War Park.
That was one reason I wanted that park not to be named the Confederate Park,” Booker
said at the meeting. “Wanting to get the South and North together – now we’re talking
about separating the monuments… They need to be together, in my opinion, to tell the
story.
“We have the Civil War Park here,” Booker continued. “Why move that monument
somewhere else? It’s part of the Civil War.”
Supervisor Mike Sheridan pointed out that Pleasant Grove was a slaveholding plantation.
“I thought it would be a great place to put it there, because that’s where folks were
actually freed,” he said. He also said that he thinks more people will see the monument
at Pleasant Grove.
Supervisor Don Weaver agreed, saying there would be “a lot more exposure” at Pleasant
Grove.
“I like Mozell’s idea,” said Supervisor Trish Eager. Having the monument at the Civil War
Park could help draw people to Palmyra, she said.
Supervisor Tony O’Brien raised a different point about placing the monument next to the
Confederate memorial. “You spoke very eloquently to trying to make it simple
community, and that’s great,” said O’Brien to Booker, “but I also think that there are
people who will view that as a symbol of disrespect.”
Instead he suggested having a kiosk of some kind at Civil War Park that would highlight
the location of historical spots of interest around the county, including the Emancipation
Proclamation monument.
Possible complication
County Attorney Fred Payne raised a potential legal issue when he referenced Virginia
code § 15.2-1812, which prohibits placing Union memorials on Confederate memorial
3/6
Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
sites.
The code reads, “It shall be unlawful for the authorities…to disturb or interfere with any
[American war] monuments or memorials so erected… ‘Disturb or interfere with’
includes…in the case of the War Between the States, the placement of Union markings or
monuments on previously designated Confederate memorials or the placement of
Confederate markings or monuments on previously designated Union memorials.”
Payne said he saw the placement of the Emancipation Proclamation monument at the
Civil War Park as “a major concern.”
“This right now is a hot issue,” Payne said. “This is the kind of thing that wouldn’t
surprise me at all to see a challenge to it. If you put it at Pleasant Grove there is no
challenge. You have a perfect right to do that… My conservative view is that I would not
take the risk.”
“You can’t convince me that that’s the right place for this monument,” Booker said. She
vowed to research whether the code applies to an Emancipation Proclamation
monument.
In a telling offhand reference, Booker placed herself and her community members into
history. “Lincoln freed the slaves so he could bring them together. I don’t think he loved
us – he had slaves,” she said.
After Booker said she intended “to do a little more homework” to see about placing the
monument at Civil War Park, Eager asked Booker if she would prefer to delay the
discussion. Booker said yes and supervisors agreed to wait to make a decision on the
monument’s location.
Who should decide?
After the meeting, the Fluvanna Review asked Booker whether others in the African
4/6
Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
American community feel that the monument should end up in Civil War Park alongside
the Confederate memorial.
“I haven’t really polled them because I was waiting until this meeting or some kind of
discussion went on so that I could kind of know where everyone stands,” Booker said.
“But I would assume that they…would want it here at the county seat and not at Pleasant
Grove.”
Booker didn’t hesitate when determining who should make the decision about the
monument’s location. “It’s really for the African Americans,” she said. “We should be
deciding.”
But, she reiterated, she wanted to do more research into Payne’s objection.
Booker said she did not see the Emancipation Proclamation monument as a Union
memorial. “No, I see it as the end of the war. I don’t see it as Union,” she said. “I think it’s
just bringing the North and South together, and the end of slavery.”
One concern repeatedly referenced by the Historical Society was Civil War Park’s lack of
handicapped accessibility. When discussing whether she would put more weight on the
concerns of the African American community, if it does end up supporting Booker’s
position, or on the concerns of the disabled community, Booker said simply, “On the
African Americans.”
Booker then elaborated, saying, “Because I think we can make [the park] accessible if we
look at it. We can do anything else… We haven’t made it accessible for the Confederacy,
and now they’re saying ‘Oh, we can’t do that because [it’s not accessible]’… Make it
accessible so that they can see the Confederacy as well as the Emancipation
Proclamation. And it can be done.”
After the meeting the Fluvanna Review asked Moss to comment on why accessibility
wasn’t an issue for the Confederate monument. “When the monument was put there,
5/6
Emancipation Proclamation monument location stirs deep feelings
Written by Christina Dimeo, Editor
Thursday, 10 November 2016 11:10 - Last Updated Wednesday, 16 November 2016 13:47
there wasn’t an Americans with Disabilities Act,” Moss said. “It wasn’t a consideration;
now it is a consideration. And it should be. I am not opposed to putting it in that park if it
can be made accessible, but I do think it needs to be made accessible.”
The Emancipation Proclamation monument can be ready to go very quickly, Moss said:
“I think once the decision is made as to where it’s to go we can get it in place in a couple
of months.”
6/6