Civil War Center accepts donated Davis statue
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RICHMOND, Virginia: A history center that examines the North, South and African-American perspectives of the Civil War agreed Wednesday to accept a statue of Confederate President Jefferson Davis from a Southern heritage group.
The American Civil War Center said the $100,000, life-sized bronze likeness was being accepted with no conditions on its display, and it could end up in storage.
"The statue clearly is an iconic figure for many," said Christy S. Coleman, president of the private center on the grounds of a former munitions factory that forged cannons during the Civil War.
Despite the caveat, a spokesman for the Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans said he was surprised and pleased by the statue's acceptance.
"All I can say is this blows my mind because I thought all along they weren't going to take it," Brag Bowling said. "I say this is a wonderful beginning and hopefully we can make the deal work."
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The center offers what it bills as a balanced historical perspective on the Civil War, reflecting the Union and Confederate viewpoints as well as those of black Americans. Its 10,000-square-foot (930-square-meter) display area does not include statuary and focuses more on interactive stations.
Jefferson Davis, who served as president of the Confederacy, was blamed for prolonging the Civil War because of his persistence in demanding independence for the breakaway states despite military losses to Union forces.
John H. Motley, chairman of the center's board, said the Davis statue "has the potential" to complement the center's collection, which includes thousands of items in storage.
He said its placement in the center would be left to center staff and educators.
"It may or may not go anywhere," Motley said.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans group celebrates the South and its role in the war. When it first offered the statue this year, some suggested the Davis statute was payback for a statue of Abraham Lincoln that was dedicated near the center in 2003 amid protests. Lincoln was the U.S. president who led the country through the Civil War; he was assassinated a week after the war ended.
"It's not meant to even up the score," Bowling said, adding that the group just wants Davis' story told.
Lexington artist Gary Casteel includes in the work a little-known but much-debated aspect of Davis' life. He is depicted with his son, Joe, and a mixed-race child, Jim Limber, who was taken in by the Davis family.
History is unclear on Jim Limber's role in the family. On a photo of the child is a note believed to have been written by Davis' wife, Varina, stating that Limber is a "great pet in the family."
Richmond, a majority black city of approximately 200,000, has 152 outdoor sculptures depicting figures as diverse as Edgar Allen Poe, St. Francis of Assisi and Robert E. Lee, according to an inventory by the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System.
Among the most spectacular are the statues of Confederate figures that line Monument Avenue, a broad boulevard bordered by grand homes. At least a dozen statues in the city are Confederate in theme, and three include Davis.
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