By Miles Layton
COLUMBIA — Wednesday, that offending spot on Tyrrell County’s Confederate Memorial was covered with a steel plate.
As folks know, County Commission approved the settlement over the lawsuit on Tuesday. See our previous story. Submitted photo
The lawsuit, brought in May 2024 by Joyce Fitch, Mark Mixon, Sherryreed Robinson, and the Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County, sought to remove a phrase engraved on the monument’s stone pedestal — “in appreciation of our faithful slaves” — violated their constitutional rights, citing both equal protection and property rights claims.
Per the terms of the settlement, the controversial phrase has been covered up — that’s not a bad thing if by doing so, we can move on to more important issues, be it a site for the construction of a new school, economic development and making US 64 a 4-lane highway between Columbia and Manteo.
The covering is designed to be reversible, allowing researchers from recognized academic institutions to view the inscription for scholarly purposes. Any such institution seeking access would be responsible for covering the cost of temporarily lifting the plate.
County Manager/Attorney David Clegg emphasized that the county retains full authority over the process, saying officials would supervise any removal of the plate to ensure it’s handled correctly. He was clear that no outside party has an independent right to take the plate off — that decision rests solely with the county.
Clegg said the settlement over the disputed monument involved no financial damages between the two parties. The case, he explained, was a declaratory judgment lawsuit from the start — a type of legal action that doesn’t produce damage awards. As a result, both sides are covering their own legal expenses.
He noted the county spent about $25,000 defending the suit.
Trigger warning — erected in 1902, here’s what the statue looked like for 124 years before the offending phrase was covered up.
Subscribe — it’s free!
Let us know what you think by leaving a comment. Comments are subject to approval.