Council responds to their role in finding a new home for the statue

EASTON, Md. –  In the next steps to remove the Talbot Boys Confederate statue from the courthouse lawn, the council is addressing their role in the placement of the statue.

The committee, ‘Preserve Talbot History,’ tells us, they want council members to be more transparent with their decision making.

We’re told, the council communicates with the Eastern Historic District Commission in regards to the movement of the statue. While looking for a new home it must be publicly accessible but also off public property. The council was turned down by the local historical society and a local cemetery, and now they are questioning where to consider next.

Councilmember Pete Lesher tells 47 ABC, this has been a long process for the who county and they’re ready to lay it to rest. He says, “you can’t change history, you can’t change the past by moving a monument.” However, he says finding its new home is more complicated and contingent on private funding and finding the proper place.

Lesher adds, “It is very clear that there is no danger today that Talbot county civil war heritage is going to be forgotten, it is quite clear that it is very present for us, and the presence or absence of a monument on the courthouse square is not going to change that one way or another.” He adds, with that being said, “What is a monument but it is an expression of not what we choose to remember but what we choose to honor by putting something literally on a pedestal in a public place. This is no longer where we are this is no longer what we choose to honor and it’s time to turn the page on this.”

Lesher also says, there are many community members that he’s sure will help raise the funds to move the statue. The county has to prepare an application by Monday for a place to move the monument to make the agenda for the October 11th historic district commission meeting.

If it’s heard at that meeting, then it will be eligible for action at the October 25th meeting.