Louisville's Landmarks Commission gives city green light to remove Castleman statue

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The city of Louisville's Landmarks Commission has given the green light to remove a controversial statue.

Commission votes 5-4 to approve the appeal, meaning the city can proceed to remove the Castleman statue.
— Lawrence Smith (@LASmithReports) May 9, 2019

The John B. Castleman statue, located in Cherokee Triangle in the Highlands, has been the center of controversy recently because its critics argue that it is closely associated with white supremacy.

Castleman served as an officer in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

In a 5-4 vote Thursday morning, the commission voted to allow the city to move the statue. That decision came after a heated public hearing and debate.

In January, a tie vote by the Cherokee Triangle Review Commission meant that the statue could not be removed. The city appealed that decision to the Landmarks Commission, which sided with the city Thursday morning.

The city says it has an agreement, in principle, to relocate the statue to Cave Hill Cemetery. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer issued a statement shortly after the vote indicating that he was pleased with the Landmark Commission's decision.

"Although John B. Castleman made civic contributions to Louisville, he also fought to keep men, women and children bonded in the chains of slavery and touted his role in the Civil War in his autobiography years later," Fischer said in the statement. "We cannot and should not erase our history, but it is important that art and monuments displayed on public property reflect our values today as a welcoming city.

"We have an agreement in principle to move the Castleman statue to a more appropriate location within Cave Hill Cemetery where John B. Castleman is buried. Details will be finalized once the legal process is complete."

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