Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
Encyclopedia
The Confederate Memorial in Mayfield is a commemorative monument and fountain
located on the courthouse lawn in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky
.
Mayfield during the Civil War
was very supportive of the Confederate States of America
. Before the secession of Tennessee
on June 8, 1861 caused the proposal to be abandoned, representatives from seven western Kentucky
counties and twenty western Tennessee counties met at Mayfield in May 1861 to discuss forming a new state that would join the Confederacy. In 1864 Union forces occupied the town and forced the townspeople to help fortify the courthouse, which was destroyed later that year. The courthouse behind the memorial fountain was built in 1889.
Mayfield's United Daughters of the Confederacy
obtained the fountain in 1917 from the McNeal Marble Company in Marietta, Georgia
at the cost of $1,650. The fountain, which no longer emits water
, is a 10 feet (3 m) obelisk
with wings that double as benches. On the end of the wings are 6 feet (1.8 m) light posts that are eight feet away from the center obelisk; the northern post is inscribed 1861, and the southern post 1865. The center obelisk has three different Confederate flags in copper relief on its top.
On July 17, 1997, it was one of sixty-one different monuments to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places
, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. One other monument on the list, the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
, is nearby in Maplewood Cemetery, north of downtown Mayfield. Other monuments on the list that are also fountains are the Confederate Monument of Cadiz
and the Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville
.
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
located on the courthouse lawn in downtown Mayfield, Kentucky
Mayfield, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,349 people, 4,358 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,549.8 people per square mile . There were 4,907 housing units at an average density of 734.8 per square mile...
.
Mayfield during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
was very supportive of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. Before the secession of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
on June 8, 1861 caused the proposal to be abandoned, representatives from seven western Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
counties and twenty western Tennessee counties met at Mayfield in May 1861 to discuss forming a new state that would join the Confederacy. In 1864 Union forces occupied the town and forced the townspeople to help fortify the courthouse, which was destroyed later that year. The courthouse behind the memorial fountain was built in 1889.
Mayfield's United Daughters of the Confederacy
United Daughters of the Confederacy
The United Daughters of the Confederacy is a women's heritage association dedicated to honoring the memory of those who served in the military and died in service to the Confederate States of America . UDC began as the National Association of the Daughters of the Confederacy, organized in 1894 by...
obtained the fountain in 1917 from the McNeal Marble Company in Marietta, Georgia
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
at the cost of $1,650. The fountain, which no longer emits water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
, is a 10 feet (3 m) obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
with wings that double as benches. On the end of the wings are 6 feet (1.8 m) light posts that are eight feet away from the center obelisk; the northern post is inscribed 1861, and the southern post 1865. The center obelisk has three different Confederate flags in copper relief on its top.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, as part of the Civil War Monuments of Kentucky Multiple Property Submission. One other monument on the list, the Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield
The Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield are historical monuments that represent the entrance to Maplewood Cemetery in Mayfield, Kentucky. The monuments were the second monument in Mayfield the United Daughters of the Confederacy established, the first being the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield...
, is nearby in Maplewood Cemetery, north of downtown Mayfield. Other monuments on the list that are also fountains are the Confederate Monument of Cadiz
Confederate Monument of Cadiz
The Confederate Monument of Cadiz, in Cadiz, Kentucky, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. The monument was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy....
and the Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville
Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville
The Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville, Kentucky is a monument placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was dedicated in October 1911....
.