Confederate Monument in Murray
Encyclopedia
The Confederate Monument in Murray is a historic statue located in the northeast corner of the Calloway County Courthouse in Murray, Kentucky
.
The fountain was funded after three years by the J. N. Williams Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy
in 1917, whose chairman died during that period; her name was placed upon the monument in tribute. The U.D.C. paid $2,500 to Marietta, Georgia
's McNeel Monument Company for the monument.
The 16.5 feet (5 m) monument has three parts. The bottom is a porcelain
drinking fountain; when it was a working fountain, a step pedal was used to obtain water. It was by far the most elaborate and modern of the Civil War fountain monuments. (The other three fountains are the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
, Confederate Memorial Fountain in Hopkinsville
, and the Confederate Monument of Cadiz
.) Four 6 feet (1.8 m) Doric
columns support a granite
canopy
. Inside the canopy is an ornate iron light fixture with four incandescent bulbs to light the fountain. On top are four marble
balls and a 5.5 feet (1.7 m) marble statue of Robert E. Lee
, making it the only monument in Kentucky that heavily features Robert E. Lee
; the only other monument in Kentucky with a likeness of Lee is Bardstown, Kentucky
's Confederate Monument of Bardstown
which has only a small relief portrait of Lee below the large statue of a Confederate soldier.
During the war, Murray/Calloway County saw 800 of its citizens serve in the Confederate Army, as opposed to 200 who served in the Union Army.
On July 17, 1997, the Confederate Monument in Murray was one of sixty-one different monuments related 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.
Murray, Kentucky
Murray is a city in Calloway County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 17,741 at the 2010 census and has a micropolitan area population of 37,191. It is the 22nd largest city in Kentucky...
.
The fountain was funded after three years by the J. N. Williams Chapter of the 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...
in 1917, whose chairman died during that period; her name was placed upon the monument in tribute. The U.D.C. paid $2,500 to 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...
's McNeel Monument Company for the monument.
The 16.5 feet (5 m) monument has three parts. The bottom is a porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
drinking fountain; when it was a working fountain, a step pedal was used to obtain water. It was by far the most elaborate and modern of the Civil War fountain monuments. (The other three fountains are the Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
Confederate Memorial in Mayfield
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...
, 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....
, and 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....
.) Four 6 feet (1.8 m) Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns support a granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
canopy
Canopy (building)
A canopy is an overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor....
. Inside the canopy is an ornate iron light fixture with four incandescent bulbs to light the fountain. On top are four marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
balls and a 5.5 feet (1.7 m) marble statue of Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
, making it the only monument in Kentucky that heavily features Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
; the only other monument in Kentucky with a likeness of Lee is Bardstown, Kentucky
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
's Confederate Monument of Bardstown
Confederate Monument of Bardstown
The Confederate Monument of Bardstown, in Bardstown, Kentucky was erected in 1904 in the Bardstown/St. Joseph's Cemetery to honor the sacrifice of 67 Confederate soldiers who died during the American Civil War, 17 of which are unknown. Most were under the command of Major General Braxton Bragg who...
which has only a small relief portrait of Lee below the large statue of a Confederate soldier.
During the war, Murray/Calloway County saw 800 of its citizens serve in the Confederate Army, as opposed to 200 who served in the Union Army.
On July 17, 1997, the Confederate Monument in Murray was one of sixty-one different monuments related to the Civil War in Kentucky placed on the National Register of Historic Places
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.