City of Wilmington confirms former Confederate statues now in Davidson County

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The City of Wilmington has provided an update on what happened to Confederate statues removed from the city five years ago.

The statues were located at Third Street and Market Street.

When protests developed in June 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the City of Wilmington temporarily relocated the statues to storage in accordance with state law, citing public safety concerns.

The following summer, Wilmington City Council voted to permanently remove the statues from downtown public spaces.

The Office of the City Attorney researched the legal options for objects of remembrance, including the ownership of these two statues, and during the process, Cape Fear 3, a local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, approached the city and asserted a claim on the statues. In 1909 and 1922, Cape Fear 3 commissioned the statues and sought city permission to erect them on public property using funds that were either raised by the organization or left by an estate.

Based on a review of City records dating back more than a century and relevant law, the City Attorney’s office concurred that Cape Fear 3 had a superior ownership claim on both statues.

There were rumors recently that the statues might be moved to Fort Fisher, but those rumors are false. According to a statement from the City of Wilmington:

The City of Wilmington is no longer in possession of any Confederate statues.  Any items that were in the City’s possession have been picked up and moved by their owners to a new home at Valor Memorial Park in Davidson County.