Sons of Confederate Vets pose secession monument

A group seeking to commemorate the 170 South Carolinians who signed the ordinance of secession nearly 150 years ago wants to place a monument to recognize the historic event on the grounds at Patriots Point.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans' South Carolina division is proposing to install an 11 1/2-foot-tall stone memorial as the centerpiece of a 40-foot by 40-foot landscaped plaza at the state-owned tourist attraction.

Designed by Pelion artist Ron Clamp, the rectangular structure would be made from blue Georgia granite and would measure 5 feet wide on each side. It would be lighted and surrounded with benches for visitors.

The group said Tuesday that it would take care of all the up-front costs and set up an endowment fund to cover future maintenance expenses. It asked that the Patriots Point Development Authority pay the electricity bill and have its security personnel include the proposed addition in their rounds to deter vandalism.

Representatives from the group pitched the idea to the authority this week, saying few public monuments exist recognizing the secession convention held in Columbia and

Charleston on Dec. 17 and Dec. 20, 1860, helping ignite the Civil War.

The name of each of the signers and the wording of the secession document would be among the text and images engraved on each side of the monument.

Albert Jackson, chairman of the Sons of Confederate Veterans' monument committee, called the secession debate and the subsequent unanimous approval of the ordinance "a significant action" for South Carolina. Most people are not aware of the history behind it, he said.

Jeff Antley, who is in charge of finding a location for the memorial, said organizers want to put the monument at Patriots Points but that they need a firm commitment for a site before they raise the rest of the money for the estimated $160,000 project.

"We believe it belongs out here," Antley said, noting that the waterfront visitor attraction is now a key "gateway to Fort Sumter," where the first shots of the war between the states were fired in April 1861.

Ideally, the Sons of Confederate Veterans would like to have the project completed in time for the 150th anniversary of the secession convention in December.

Members of the Patriots Point board said they were impressed with the design and the presentation, but they took no action this week, saying they need more time to consider the request. They plan to revisit the proposal and possibly take a vote at their February meeting.

Board Chairman John Hagerty said Patriots Point is just starting to update its land-use plan, which could delay any land commitment decisions.

The signing monument falls within the scope of Patriots Point's mission, said Bill Craver, the board's attorney.

"It works if you all would want to do it," he said.

Patriots Point was approached by another group at the same meeting about building a counterpart to the Statue of Liberty.

Reach John McDermott at 937-5572 or jmcdermott@postandcourier.com.