Reidsville removes final pieces of Confederate monument

Reidsville city employees removed the final pieces of the Reidsville Confederate Monument on Thursday morning.

City manager Michael Pearce said it was always the intention of the city to move the base from the roundabout for the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Initially, he said, the city would do this once the UDC determined what to do with the monument, but after speaking with the president for the North Carolina chapter of the UDC, Aileen Ezell, it was determined that a decision could be more than a year away.

The 101-year old monument was destroyed around 4:47 a.m. May 23 when, according to Reidsville police, 40-year-old Mark Anthony Vincent of Greensboro fell asleep behind the wheel of his van, failing to maintain his lane and striking the monument in a roundabout on the intersection of West Morehead and Scales streets.

The solider standing atop the monument fell into the hood of Vincent’s van, its head becoming lodged while the rest of the body broke into several large pieces and then splintered into smaller pieces.

Since the accident, feelings about what should be done in repairing or replacing the monument have led to a divisive debate in Reidsville.

On Aug. 9, the city announced Ezell chose not to return the Confederate soldier to his post on Scales Street.

Mayor James Festerman said, “Every bit of this has been extremely sad. It’s something that none of us expected.”

The decision to move it was made in the interest of public safety, according to a press release from the City of Reidsville.

“I’ve had a lot of people contact me asking is it safe the way it is sitting askew there,” Pearce said.

Pearce said in the press release that he wanted to prevent further damage from the statue’s base, which  suffered chipping at the time of the accident.

Festerman said moving the statue from Scales Street will ensure it can be preserved for later use.

The base will be held in the same location as the statue, at the Public Works site, until Ezell determines what to do with it.

City attorney Bill McLeod Jr. was unable to find evidence showing the UDC donated the statue to the city and, therefore, the city gave all rights of the monument over to the UDC.

According to the press release, the UDC said it would not ask the city to replace the monument where it previously stood, but will instead move it to another location.

Pearce said Ezell is currently working with Traveler’s Insurance Company and waiting on a response to a claim that was filed. It was determined that it could take more than a year to get a resolution to the claim and to decide what kind of statue to create.

The press release said until the city determines what to do with the roundabout, it will plant flowers in the monument’s former location.