Bristol Confederate Memorial - Bristol, VA
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member vhasler
N 36° 35.862 W 082° 10.855
17S E 394373 N 4050894
Memorial depicts a Confederate soldier on top of a pedestal.
Waymark Code: WM9X6N
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 10/09/2010
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member silverquill
Views: 14

Official Description:
Confederate soldier in uniform stands at parade rest. Both hands grasp the barrel of his rifle, the butt of which is on the ground at his feet. He wears a brimmed hat and from his belt hang a canteen on his proper left hip and a knife on his proper right hip. A bedroll is draped across his chest and over his proper left shoulder. He leans against a tree stump and stands atop a tall multitiered base. The base has an inscription on its front above a relief of two crossed swords.

Inscription:
Presented by Col. J. M. Barker of Bristol, Tenn., to the Chapter of the U. D. C. in memory of the brave men and noble women of Tennessee and Virginia from 1861-1865. Erected 1920.

October 2011 Update:
Per the Bristol newspaper article, the statue was moved from by the renovated train station over to near Cumberland Square Park, close to where it originally stood in front of the city courthouse until 1970. The relocation was undertaken to better protect the statue from adverse effects of being near a major street and railroad. A crane was used to carefully reassemble the the statue and its seven-piece base.

The above coordinates are estimated based on close examination of the photograph in the newspaper article. Believe that they are within 40' feet, but would be great if the next visitor would provide an actual location measurement.

TITLE: Bristol Confederate Memorial

ARTIST(S): Unknown

DATE: Dedicated May 27, 1910. Installed 1920 in original location in front of now-razed city courthouse. Relocated in 1970 to by renovated train station. Moved again in 2011 to current spot.

MEDIUM: Figure: concrete; Base: granite and concrete.

CONTROL NUMBER: IAS VA000083

Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]

PHYSICAL LOCATION:
As of October 2011: Address is roughly 299 Lee St, Bristol, VA 24201 In a grass strip along a walking path east of on Lee Street, north of Beaver Creek, and south of a gravel parking lot.


DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
In October 2011, the status was relocated from beside State Street (N 36° 35.700 W 082° 10.836)over to a greenbelt walkway near Cumberland Square Park to better protect it. The moving company successfully completed the job without any damage. The newspaper article (linked above) has noted that the statue is "grimy off-white with touches of green lichen growing around the knees, elbows, and the back of his head."


Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.
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