Vance Monument rededication set for Saturday

As part of the restoration of the Vance Monument, repairs to the mortar joints and the monument's wrought iron fence have been made, plus the monument and its plaques have been cleaned. Photo by Daniel Hall

A rededication ceremony for the Vance Monument is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at the foot of the monument in Pack Square Park in downtown Asheville.

Constructed in 1897 at the west end of what is now Pack Square Park, the Vance Monument commemorates the life of Zebulon B. Vance, U.S. senator, governor of North Carolina during and after the Civil War, and the first colonel of the 26th North Carolina Regiment, notes a news release from the city of Asheville.

The granite monument, part of the city of Asheville’s public art collection, was designed by noted architect Richard Sharpe Smith. Repairs to the monument included fixing mortar joints, overall cleaning of the monument and plaques, and repair of the wrought iron fence surrounding the monument. The restoration was made possible by a donation by the 26th North Carolina Regiment, which will host the ceremony, according to the city.

The contents of a time capsule placed under the monument in 1897 will be on display, and plans to create a new time capsule will also be revealed. The Asheville Buncombe Time Capsule Project will invite the community to offer opinions on the new time capsule’s contents, and a volunteer selection panel will make the final recommendation on what should be included.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.