By Miles Layton

Well… a year after the Confederate Memorial to Chowan County’s 47 war dead was taken down at midnight on Labor Day weekend of 2025, the monument is still collecting dust at the Chowan County Detention Center instead of the sunshine at the end of South Broad Street in Edenton. Check out the video

The matter remains in legal limbo with an unresolved lawsuit percolating up through the court system – the case may be adjudicated once and for all on Sept. 16, but I’m not going to hold my breath.  

With a lawsuit pending, nothing has happened. The court could rule against the Town and order it to be re-erected on South Broad Street, but Confederate groups are reluctant to have the memorial placed at that location because the lawsuits seeking the statue’s demise would most likely be never-ending.

In early 2025, the Town of Edenton and Chowan County agreed, via a Memorandum of Understanding, to relocate the memorial to a site near Veterans Memorial Park behind the county courthouse, though ongoing debates and legal challenges from groups such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans continue to affect the timeline and final placement.  

On that note, the Sons of Confederate Veterans have rescinded their support for an agreement to relocate the monument, now pushing to return the memorial to another location, and there are other prominent places, perhaps the original courthouse green – which we know has as much chance of happening as a rematch between Union and Confederate forces at Gettysburg — only this time Lee’s army can use walky-talkies to coordinate forces and not have to wait for Rebel general JEB Stuart to finally make an appearance.  

Let’s say this again — Town of Edenton will handle the statue’s actual reinstallation, as required under state law.   

Reached out to the Town of Edenton for comment — no comment as of this writing.  

Michael Dean, commander of the SCV Edenton Bell Battery chapter, didn’t try to hide his frustration. He urged the mayor and town council to settle the dispute through compromise rather than continued litigation, arguing it would save taxpayer money and finally resolve a problem that’s been dragging on for the town.

The Chowan County Commission has insisted all along that it will keep fighting in court whenever necessary to comply with state law on relocating and placing Confederate monuments, pointing out that no state money exists to help cover its legal bills. As the entity responsible for county property, the commission says it’s obligated to defend the county’s interests — a stance that has kept the case in litigation even though no clear resolution is in sight.

Dean said the chapter’s legal position has strengthened in recent months, citing appellate court rulings in Alamance and Gaston counties that he believes have effectively defeated an opposing group’s countersuit. He explained that those rulings — in which plaintiffs failed to prove the memorials caused any harm — have essentially doomed the countersuit, a point he said applies locally as well.

That finding, he said, changes the calculus for all parties. The SCV’s attorneys, working in consultation with the N.C. Division and national SCV leadership, have opened the door to dropping the organization’s own lawsuit — if local officials will negotiate a compromise that both sides can accept.

Dean said the chapter’s attorneys have gotten sign-off from state and national SCV leadership to drop the lawsuit in exchange for a compromise that would save the town significant time and money, adding that he views a refusal to compromise as a failure on the other side’s part.

Flashback to a Chowan County Commission meeting in November of 2025, local interior and garden designer David Stevenson, who brings 36 years of architectural and landscape design experience to the project, unveiled a conceptual plan for a revitalized Veterans Park that would incorporate the Confederate statue into a broader tribute to military service and local history. 

Commission approved Stevenson’s concept plan and authorized placement of the monument, while noting that specific dimensions should be reviewed before construction begins. 

Drawing inspiration from parks across the country, Stevenson said he designed the space to enhance the area and serve as a meaningful addition to the city and county.

He told commissioners the redesign would make the park more welcoming to both residents and visitors alike, and described it as a space the community could take pride in.

Stevenson’s presentation outlined plans for a broader redesign to honor local veterans and improve the downtown landscape. Officials stressed that the plan remains a concept drawing at this stage, with details expected to evolve as the project develops.

Stevenson’s fuller design proposal — including a fountain, gazebo, landscaping and additional memorial features — will return to the board for consideration once cost estimates are complete.