City council set to host public hearing for Civil War monument removal

WAYNESBORO, Va. (WHSV) - The Waynesboro City Council will hear plans for the future of a Civil War monument formerly located in Constitution Park during their meeting Monday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.

The monument of William H. Harman was removed after a series of vandalisms. Harman was an official for the Confederate Army in the Civil War.

Waynesboro Mayor Bobby Henderson said they hope to decide what to do in the future soon.

“We took it up and had it under safe keeping as we cleaned it up. We reset it a couple of times and it got vandalized, so we’re having a public hearing to relocate it from Constitution Park,” Henderson said.

The plan now is to have the monument relocated to private property, and Henderson said three private entities have expressed interest in taking it.

“If we’ve got people who have a place for it and want to preserve it and keep it, it makes sense to me that we would do that,” Henderson said.

Citizens will have a chance to speak Monday night, and then Henderson said the council will evaluate what they heard. They’ll also talk with the three people who want the monument and hear their cases.

There will be a decision-making period after the meeting, and there won’t likely be a final home for the monument right away.

Cities are required to host a public hearing before removing a monument from a public space.