Updated: Northampton County to remove Confederate Monument Thursday

Update: Northampton County’s historic Confederate Monument is now expected to be removed Thursday at its Courthouse Green. According to Janice Williams, the company Northampton contracted for removal will be installing anchors and rigging today for the the disassembly of the 100 year old memorial to those who fought for Virginia from Accomack and Northampton Counties in the Civil War.

All the preliminary work for the removal was completed Tuesday with several Northampton County Sheriff’s Deputies providing police protection.

Williams, Deputy County Administrator of Northampton County, the Monument, guns, cannon balls and other pieces will be stored at its Facilities Management Shop in Eastville.

The removal is being conducted by Stratified, Inc., a Washington DC firm that provides “environmental and construction services.” The firm is charging Northampton County $39,000.

No plans have been announced for any potential future home for the monument.

Erected in 1913 by the Harmanson-West Camp Confederate Veterans and the Daughters of the Confederacy, the inscription on the plaque reads “to the soldiers of the Confederacy from Northampton and Accomack Counties. They died bravely in war or in peace lived nobly to rehabilitate their country.”

A group of local citizens headed by Dr. Art Carter attempted a compromise campaign which would have left the monument in place and raised funds to build a second monument to the African-American soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War, but that was rejected by Northampton’s Supervisors. Supervisors Oliver Bennett, John Coker and Betsy Mapp voted in favor of its removal at their January Board meeting.

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