Edenton resident questions group’s composition, says statue should not be ‘resurrected’

BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

EDENTON — Hours after the Chowan County Monument Relocation Committee met and hired a designer for relocating the Confederate monument to courthouse grounds, two Edenton residents used the public comment period at Monday evening’s commissioners meeting to voice their views on the controversial memorial.

For information on the Commissioners’ discussion of the Local Re-Entry Council, click here. For information on the reappraisal presentation, click here.

Wayne Caskey, speaking from his family’s long military tradition dating back to 1632, supported the monument’s placement while emphasizing respect for all veterans. He noted that it was the first of three speeches he planned to give on the issue.

“Larry wouldn’t have a problem with that monument being placed where it is today. Colt would have never had a problem with where that monument is being placed today,” he said, referring to his late brother, a Vietnam veteran, and his nephew who died serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During past meeting regarding the monument, Caskey has pointed out how divided the community is about the issue and how he felt that “there’s people on both sides that are not going to be satisfied” with whatever is done with the monument.

Deborah Miller, who is a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against the Town of Edenton and Chowan County regarding the monument’s relocation, expressed strong opposition, saying she did not want the monument “resurrected.”

“I do not want to see the Confederate monument raised above the (other) veterans,” Miller told commissioners. “I don’t want to see Confederate flags flying high over top of that monument.”

The proposed site for the monument is between the current veterans monument and the Chowan County Jail, where the disassembled statue is currently being held.

She questioned the accuracy of information being provided about the memorial, specifically challenging several statements made by Commissioner Tony Shaffer during the afternoon committee meeting.

Shaffer refuted Miller’s claims by saying he had not said any of what she claimed he had.

Miller also questioned the composition of the committee – Commissioners Chris Evans, Bob Kirby and Shaffer.

“I do believe people know what that statue is there for. … I hope (the statue) does not get resurrected,” she said. “Tonight’s prayer is a prayer for healing. In order to heal, you have to own what the problems are.”

The public comments came just hours after the Monument Relocation Committee met at 4 p.m. at the Chowan County Public Safety Center on West Freemason Street to advance plans for relocating the Confederate monument recently removed from downtown Edenton to the courthouse grounds at the intersection of East Queen and Court streets. There, it will be incorporated into a redesigned memorial area alongside the existing veterans memorial.

The committee met with David Stevenson, a local interior and garden designer with 36 years of architectural and landscape design experience, to begin developing a comprehensive design for the site, according to information provided by Chowan County Board of Commissioners Clerk Susanne Stallings.

The committee, established during the county commissioners’ annual retreat in March, was tasked with developing recommendations for site improvements that would accommodate both the relocated Confederate monument and the existing veterans memorial in an aesthetically pleasing arrangement that complies with town and historic district regulations.

Historical Context

The Confederate monument at the center of the relocation effort has a complex history spanning over a century. Originally erected in 1909 near the north end of the courthouse green as a memorial to the “Confederate Dead from Chowan County who died in the Civil War,” the 26-foot tall granite memorial was first moved in 1961 when the Edenton Women’s Club sought to restore the courthouse green and relocated it to the foot of South Broad Street.

The monument consists of a tall white granite shaft topped with a Spanish War common soldier standing with his rifle at his waist, with inscriptions reading “Our Confederate Dead 1861-1865.”

The monument became a focal point of controversy in recent years, with weekly protests occurring “every Saturday for the last three and half years” before its removal. In a swift overnight operation on August 30, 2025, the monument was removed from its decades-long location at the foot of South Broad Street, with the two-hour operation beginning at 11:01 p.m. and concluding by 1:30 a.m.

Committee Discussions

During Monday’s committee meeting, Kirby made an important distinction, noting that this is specifically the “Chowan County Confederate monument” rather than the “Edenton Confederate monument,” emphasizing the county’s ownership and responsibility for the memorial.

Shaffer suggested that the design include a plaque noting the “13” fallen Confederate soldiers from Chowan County, with their names and dates of service. This was one of the statements Miller questioned during the regular meeting that Shaffer refuted.

Historical records indicate that at least 47 people from Chowan County died while serving the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The committee discussed practical concerns about the relocation site, including questions about potential underground infrastructure. Shaffer mentioned reports of “an underground aquifer or old drainage area near or around the area where the monument is to be located.” However, County Manager Kevin Howard noted that staff review of historical maps had not identified any natural drainage ditches in the proposed area.

Structural integrity also emerged as a consideration, with discussions about building code compliance and the need for engineering certification for the monument’s foundation, since standard building codes don’t typically address this type of memorial structure.

Design Timeline and Approval Process

Stevenson committed to developing a preliminary design by the end of October, with Kirby requesting completion by Nov. 1 to allow the committee time for review before presenting recommendations to the full Board of Commissioners.

The approval process will involve several steps: The committee must review and approve Stevenson’s design, then forward their recommendation to the full Board of Commissioners for a vote. Additionally, because the courthouse grounds lie within the Edenton Historic District, the Edenton Preservation Commission must provide final review and approval.

Howard clarified the division of responsibilities under the memorandum of understanding with the Town of Edenton: While the town handles the physical placement of the monument, the county is responsible for designing the overall area and determining the exact location for placement.

The committee plans to reconvene before the Nov. 3 commissioners meeting to review Stevenson’s completed design and prepare their recommendation for the full board’s consideration.