Thomas Jefferson Statue On Decatur Square Put Into Storage

DECATUR, GA — First it was a Confederate monument. Now it’s Thomas Jefferson.

Soon after a Confederate monument was taken down by court order from the Decatur square, a nearby statue of Thomas Jefferson was removed as well.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the life-size bronze figure of Jefferson — sitting on a bench outside the old DeKalb courthouse — was given to Decatur by an anonymous donor who asked that it be removed so it wouldn’t be damaged.

“To my knowledge, there’s no intent on the part of the donor to bring it back,” Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett told the Atlanta newspaper.

The Jefferson statue was less than 500 feet away from a 30-foot obelisk honoring the Confederacy that was removed Thursday night by the city of Decatur. The previous week, a DeKalb County judge ordered it taken down and put into storage because it had become a public nuisance, attracting graffiti and vandalism.

Jefferson’s history is complicated. While he was a Founding Father, a primary author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, he also owned hundreds of slaves. According to historians, Jefferson also fathered six children with slave Sally Hemmings.

OTHER NEWS:

• Use Of Force, Hate Crime Ordinances Approved By Fulton Officials
• Street Names With Possible KKK Tie To Be Changed In Sandy Springs