Court Square Park

Last updated
Court Square Park
USA Virginia location map.svg
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LocationCharlottesville, Virginia
Coordinates 38°1′54″N78°28′31″W / 38.03167°N 78.47528°W / 38.03167; -78.47528
Area0.4 acres (0.16 ha)
Created1919 (1919)
Operated byCity of Charlottesville
StatusOpen all year

Court Square Park (formerly Jackson Park and Justice Park) is a public park in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Court Square Park is 0.4 acres bounded by Jefferson Street, Fourth Street N.E., High Street and the Albemarle County Court Building. [1] Paul Goodloe McIntire established the park in 1919 by donating the land to the city of Charlottesville. [1]

The park was originally named Jackson Park after Confederate general Stonewall Jackson. [2] A statue of Jackson on horseback, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, was placed there in 1921. [2]

In November 2016 the Blue Ribbon Commission on Race, Memorials and Public Spaces published a report recommending transforming the statue into a monument for remembering racial oppression and to change the name from Jackson Park. [3] [4] In June 2017, the city council voted to change the name to Justice Park, [5] and in July 2018, the name was changed again to Court Square Park. [6]

The statue was removed on July 10, 2021. [7]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Court Square Park - City of Charlottesville". www.charlottesville.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-20. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  2. 1 2 "104-0251 Thomas Jonathan Jackson Sculpture Nomination Form" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. 19 June 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
  3. SUAREZ, CHRIS (1 November 2016). "Panel votes to recommend keeping statues in their parks". The Daily Progress .
  4. Hoerauf, Daniel (11 November 2016). "Blue Ribbon Commission shares recommendations with community". The Cavalier Daily. University of Virginia.
  5. "Charlottesville City Council Votes to Rename Lee, Jackson Parks". nbc29.com. WVIR-TV. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  6. "Charlottesville City Council changes the names of two renamed parks". The Daily Progress . 16 July 2018.
  7. "Charlottesville's Confederate statues removed from city parks". NBC29. Charlottesville, VA: Gray Media Group. 10 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.