Jackson Park: Difference between revisions

From Cvillepedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (Removed stub category.)
(add details and cites)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Jackson Park''' is a Charlottesville park located north of the [[Downtown Mall]].
[[image: Stonewall-jackson-statue.jpg|right|thumb|Stonewall Jackson statue]]
[[image: Stonewall-jackson-statue.jpg|right|thumb|Stonewall Jackson statue]]
'''Jackson Park''' is a Charlottesville park located north of the [[Downtown Mall]].  The oark consists of 0.4 acres and includes all of the property bordered by Jefferson Street, Fourth Street N.E., High Street and the Albemarle County Court Building. A large equestrian monument of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, by [[Charles Keck]], is the focal point of the park. The park also contains well-maintained flower beds and a number of benches.


'''Jackson Park''' consists of 0.4 acres and includes all of the property bordered by Jefferson Street, Fourth Street N.E., High Street and the Albemarle County Court Building. A large equestrian monument of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, by [[Charles Keck]], is the focal point of the park. The park also contains well-maintained flower beds and a number of benches.
==History of Park and Statue Donation==
The park's land was originally known as McKee block.<ref name=K> Rourke. Kristen. "Marking History in Charlottesville." np. City Council Chambers, Charlottesville, VA. 30 May 2012. presentation. </ref>  The buildings on the property were torn down in 1918 and a school for white children was supposed to be built in their place.<ref name=K/>


The park's land was originally known as McKee block.<ref name=K> Rourke. Kristen. "Marking History in Charlottesville." np. City Council Chambers, Charlottesville, VA. 30 May 2012. presentation. </ref> The buildings on the property were torn down in 1918 and a school for white children was supposed to be built in their place.<ref name=K/> Instead, [[Paul Goodloe McIntire]] purchased the property and donated it to the city as property as property for a park.<ref>"Charlottesville : Jackson Park." Charlottesville : Home. Web. 02 July 2010. <http://www.charlottesville.org/index.aspx?page=339>.</ref>.
Instead, in 1919  philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntyre, as part of his program of endowing Charlottesville with fine works of art, bought the land to donate to the city specifically as a venue to display a sculpture representing General Jackson.<ref name= Register> National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service Form 10-900-a, 1996, Section 8 page 3, on deposit Albemarle County Historical Society “Monuments“ file</ref><ref>Mrs. J Rawlings Thompson, History of the Jackson Statue, Charlottesville Daily Progress, November 16, 1966, on deposit Albemalrle County Historical Society “Monuments“ file.</ref> McIntire's deed requires that the land "will never be used other than for a park and that no other monument except Jackson’s would ever occupy it.<ref name= Register/> McIntyre himself had chosen the site and position of the statue, rejecting a suggestion that it face north rather than south.<ref name=  Register/> A 1966 proposal to move the statue to one corner of the park was defeated, because "to be shown to best advantage the statue should remain in the open and elevated position it now occupies.<ref name= Register/>


The city's [[Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan|comprehensive plan]] classifies Jackson Park as an 'urban' park<ref name="compplan10">{{cite web|title=Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan, Chapter 10|url=http://www.charlottesville.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=8182|author=|work=|publisher=City of Charlottesville|location=Charlottesville, Virginia|publishdate=|accessdate=October 19, 2010}}</ref>.
Sculptor Charles Keck designed the work, using McIntyre's favorite mount as the model for Jackson’s horse Sorrel. The granite pedestal was finished two years in advance of the statue, due to World War I bronze shortages.<ref name=  Register/> On first viewing the finished work installed in the park in 1922, the sculptor called it "the best work I have ever done.”<ref name= Register/> That assessment is shared by contemporary art critics  according to Charlottesville Heritage: Keck’s sculpture of Jackson is now ranked as one of the three best equestrian statues in the world.<ref>”One of the World’s Finest,” Charlottesville Heritage, March 3, 1972, on deposit Albemalrle County Historical Society, Monuments file</ref>  


At the 2012 [[Virginia Festival of the Book]], City Councilor [[Kristin Szakos]] has raised questions over whether the Jackson statue in the park should be removed out of a concern it celebrates the state's Confederate past. <ref>{{cite-progress|title=Historian talks Civil War as councilor wonders if statues should be torn down|url=http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/mar/22/historian-talks-civil-war-councilor-wonders-if-sta-ar-1787271/|author=Ted Strong|pageno=|printdate=March 23, 2012|publishdate=March 22, 2012|accessdate=March 29, 2012|cturl=}}</ref>
The Jackson statue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref>National Register of Historic Places id #64500682, Four Monumental Figurative Outdoor Sculptures in Charlottesville</ref>


==Controversy over moving historic war memorials==
At the 2012 [[Virginia Festival of the Book]], City Councilor [[Kristin Szakos]] raised questions over whether the Jackson statue in the park should be removed out of a concern it celebrates the state's Confederate past. <ref>{{cite-progress|title=Historian talks Civil War as councilor wonders if statues should be torn down|url=http://www2.dailyprogress.com/news/2012/mar/22/historian-talks-civil-war-councilor-wonders-if-sta-ar-1787271/|author=Ted Strong|pageno=|printdate=March 23, 2012|publishdate=March 22, 2012|accessdate=March 29, 2012|cturl=}}</ref> More recently, in March 2016 the issue of moving the statue was revived.<ref>{{cite-progress|title=Debate over role of Charlottesville's Confederate statues reignites|url=http://Debate%20over%20role%20of%20Charlottesville's%20Confederate%20statues%20reignites%20-%20The%20Daily%20Progress_%20Local.html|author= Bryan McKenzie|pageno=|printdate=July 15, 2015|accessdate=March 22, 2016|cturl=}}</ref><ref>{{cite-progress|title=Movement afoot to remove Lee statue in Charlottesville|url=http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/movement-afoot-to-remove-lee-statue-in-charlottesville/article_7d5ab060-efc2-11e5-99e8-a7d1233a899b.html
|author=Chris Suarez|pageno=|printdate=March 21, 2016|publishdate=March 22, 2016|accessdate=March 29, 2012|cturl=}}</ref>





Revision as of 14:46, 22 March 2016

Stonewall Jackson statue

Jackson Park is a Charlottesville park located north of the Downtown Mall. The oark consists of 0.4 acres and includes all of the property bordered by Jefferson Street, Fourth Street N.E., High Street and the Albemarle County Court Building. A large equestrian monument of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson, by Charles Keck, is the focal point of the park. The park also contains well-maintained flower beds and a number of benches.

History of Park and Statue Donation

The park's land was originally known as McKee block.[1] The buildings on the property were torn down in 1918 and a school for white children was supposed to be built in their place.[1]

Instead, in 1919 philanthropist Paul Goodloe McIntyre, as part of his program of endowing Charlottesville with fine works of art, bought the land to donate to the city specifically as a venue to display a sculpture representing General Jackson.[2][3] McIntire's deed requires that the land "will never be used other than for a park and that no other monument except Jackson’s would ever occupy it.”[2] McIntyre himself had chosen the site and position of the statue, rejecting a suggestion that it face north rather than south.[2] A 1966 proposal to move the statue to one corner of the park was defeated, because "to be shown to best advantage the statue should remain in the open and elevated position it now occupies.”[2]

Sculptor Charles Keck designed the work, using McIntyre's favorite mount as the model for Jackson’s horse Sorrel. The granite pedestal was finished two years in advance of the statue, due to World War I bronze shortages.[2] On first viewing the finished work installed in the park in 1922, the sculptor called it "the best work I have ever done.”[2] That assessment is shared by contemporary art critics according to Charlottesville Heritage: Keck’s sculpture of Jackson is now ranked as one of the three best equestrian statues in the world.[4]

The Jackson statue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

Controversy over moving historic war memorials

At the 2012 Virginia Festival of the Book, City Councilor Kristin Szakos raised questions over whether the Jackson statue in the park should be removed out of a concern it celebrates the state's Confederate past. [6] More recently, in March 2016 the issue of moving the statue was revived.[7][8]


Local Voices, Local History

VIDEO CREDITS: Narrated by Ashlin Smith;
Graphic design: Jen Fleischer; Project Manager: Kristin Rourke.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Rourke. Kristen. "Marking History in Charlottesville." np. City Council Chambers, Charlottesville, VA. 30 May 2012. presentation.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service Form 10-900-a, 1996, Section 8 page 3, on deposit Albemarle County Historical Society “Monuments“ file
  3. Mrs. J Rawlings Thompson, History of the Jackson Statue, Charlottesville Daily Progress, November 16, 1966, on deposit Albemalrle County Historical Society “Monuments“ file.
  4. ”One of the World’s Finest,” Charlottesville Heritage, March 3, 1972, on deposit Albemalrle County Historical Society, Monuments file
  5. National Register of Historic Places id #64500682, Four Monumental Figurative Outdoor Sculptures in Charlottesville
  6. Web. Historian talks Civil War as councilor wonders if statues should be torn down, Ted Strong, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, March 22, 2012, retrieved March 29, 2012.
  7. Web. Debate over role of Charlottesville's Confederate statues reignites, Bryan McKenzie, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, retrieved March 22, 2016.
  8. Web. Movement afoot to remove Lee statue in Charlottesville, Chris Suarez, Daily Progress, Lee Enterprises, March 22, 2016, retrieved March 29, 2012.

External links

Jackson Park on City's website

Audiotour website: Source of video