Pitt County discusses confederate monument removal

PITT COUNTY, N.C. (WITN) - Monday night, a controversial topic was on the agenda for the Pitt County Commissioners meeting.

The topic of discussion was the removal and relocation of the confederate monument that sat on the courthouse lawn in 1914.

Community members have been on both sides of this issue.

Some agree with the removal and don’t think it should be put back up. Others are against the removal and have rallied to have it re-erected.

It’s been over a year since the Pitt County monument was taken down. Action was supposed to be taken on the relocation July 19th, but still it sits in storage.

Commissioners unanimously voted back in February to donate the confederate statue and relocate it to private property on NC-43 South, in the southern part of Pitt County, on former County Commissioner Ephraim Smith’s property.

At Monday nights meeting, a motion was made by commissioner Christopher Nunnally to disband the monument relocation committee that was made last year to decide what happens to the statue.

Commissioner Alex Albright along with several others, disagreed with the motion.

County Manager Scott Elliot said that the property owner of the area where the monument would go, Ephraim Smith, wants to wait to relocate the statue until after a Supreme Court case between the sons of the Confederacy and two counties in the state.

At the meeting, the motion to disband the relocation committee was withdrawn.

Chairwoman Ann Huggins said that she will decide when the committee will meet again and what the membership will look like.

The United Daughters of the Confederacy funded and donated the monument. It was dedicated in 1914.