REMOVED: The Confederate statue in MacArthur Park. Brian Chilson
Brian Chilson
DISCOLORED: Base of Confederate statue in MacArthur Park.

Some minor vandalism was discovered Monday morning on the Confederate statue in front of the Military Museum in MacArthur Park, some paint or other coloring material on the base of the statue.

As is the city of Little Rock custom these days under the Frank Scott administration, my questions to the museum were referred to the mayor’s private PR consultant, Stephanie Jackson, who responded to my question Tuesday afternoon:

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Yesterday morning an unknown substance was thrown on the base of the statue causing it to be stained.

I asked followup questions. Jackson sent a response to them Wednesday afternoon:

The damage was to the base of the statue. They are uncertain what the material was. She said the statue was not the city’s but is on city land.

I asked further questions about ownership and conditions of placement there. Other sources say the Sons of Confederate Veterans paid for the memorial to the Capitol Guards, which was installed in 1911. Those troops seized the museum building, which was then a Union arsenal, at the outset of the war.

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Maybe more tomorrow from Jackson.

UPDATE: Jackson sends a correction. Says the state owns the land. Still unable to get specifics from the paid intermediary for people who know the facts

I also asked if the city had given any thought to the statue in the current context of broad discussions about the relocation of Confederate monuments from public land.

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Jackson’s response:

“This is all we have right now.”

 

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