ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
Giant stone slabs containing the word “VANCE” were removed from the monument to former Gov. Zebulon Vance Tuesday afternoon, leaving just a center core of the base of the once-towering obelisk in downtown Asheville.
Even with a new court hearing on the docket, work to dismantle the last pieces of the Vance Monument was proceeding without delay, and the stone base gradually was shrinking Tuesday afternoon in downtown Asheville.
As of the morning slabs showing the name “VANCE” no longer were shrouded from public view, as preliminary work to remove outer coverings and some heavy stone cap pieces already had taken place.
By the early afternoon, more heavy stone slabs had been removed and it was unclear whether any of those containing the name of former Gov. Zebulon Vance would be standing by nightfall. It turns out, they didn’t last past 2:15 p.m.
The work is taking place despite courtroom activity.
The Society for the Historical Preservation of the Twenty-Sixth North Carolina Troops filed a lawsuit last week against the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, for the second time seeking to block removal of the last pieces of the monument.
Buncombe County is seeking to dismiss the new lawsuit at at hearing scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 15, at Buncombe County Superior Court. The City of Asheville is seeking attorney’s fees and sanctions.
The new lawsuit didn’t stop the City of Asheville from announcing Monday it was pressing ahead with final removal of the monument, saying contractors would mobilize Monday and prepare to begin work on Tuesday.
Preliminary work already has changed the appearance of the base, however. As a light rain fell Tuesday morning, visitors could see that several corner and cap pieces of the base of the monument already had been removed. So was the wooden covering that has hidden the name “VANCE” since the original decision to take down the once 70-foot obelisk.
At least one slab was left free-standing on the north side facade, with a gap to the core of the base. Meanwhile, several heavy stone cap and corner pieces were removed and set aside. Some remained, but their removal could expedite the removal of the “VANCE” name altogether.
There was a pause in the work late Tuesday morning, but a City of Asheville spokeswoman said that likely was due to weather and was definitely not related to any legal maneuvering.
DESPITE LAWSUIT, ASHEVILLE RE-STARTS VANCE MONUMENT REMOVAL
Political and legal wrangling over the Vance Monument goes back to the summer of 2020, when what then was a towering obelisk became a focal point for Black Lives Matter protests due to former Gov. Zebulon Vance’s connections to slavery.
The City Council decided to remove the monument and transform the area with a reimagined plaza.
A group called the Society of Historical Preservation of the 26th North Carolina Troops sued, claiming a breach of contract over a $138,447.38 payment it made to repair the monument. After upper portions of the monument already were removed, the society won a temporary reprive that halted the final removal of the monument’s base.
LEGAL DELAYS ADDED $99,401 TO VANCE MONUMENT REMOVAL TAB
In March, North Carolina’s Supreme Court issued a complicated decision that upheld dismissal of the society’s claims for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction blocking the removal, although it also reversed a Court of Appeals determination that the society’s breach of contract claim should be dismissed for lack of standing.
Earlier this month, the society filed a new lawsuit that again seeks to block removal of the monument, and it is seeking to halt the new deconstruction effort.
An Asheville spokesperson said via email on Monday, “A second lawsuit has been filed, and this suit includes a request to halt the demolition work. However, the City intends to contest this request, and will continue with the process to implement the Pack Square Vision until or unless another court ruling dictates otherwise.”
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