Cavalry clashed often near this home outside Atlanta. After years of potential loss to Cobb County development, it is being sold for $1 and relocation to a safe place

The McAfee house was built around 1840, when Cobb County was mostly farms (Cobb Landmarks)

For $1 – yes, ONE DOLLAR -- you can buy an Atlanta-area house that served as a headquarters for a real-life Civil War cavalry general and live like it’s 1864.

But there’s a kicker (yes, there’s always a kicker):

-- You have to move it before May 15 to a place with suitable zoning.

-- Moving historic buildings is complicated and expensive. Have you consulted with an expert? How are you going to prepare it for the move, and will you clean up the site once the dwelling is gone?

-- What are your plans for use of this two-story 1840s home? Will you agree to renovate the interior in accordance with federal standards for historic properties?

-- And last, but not least, do you have enough money to move it and pay for restoration?

Reality check.

These questions posed by a nonprofit trying to save and preserve the Robert and Eliza McAfee House in Cobb County certainly are geared toward “serious buyers only.”

But the sale by Cobb Landmarks is being cheered as a winning strategy after a five-year campaign to protect the house – which has no historical protection -- from a crush of development in the suburb.

The McAfee home served a few weeks in June and early July 1864 as the headquarters for Brig. Gen. Kenner Garrard (left) and his three brigades during the Atlanta Campaign. The Federal troopers clashed almost daily near Noonday Creek with Confederates led by Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheeler. The house is said also to have been used as a field hospital.

“Because of the prominent location of the house, it has become a well-known and beloved landmark to many. It would be an absolute shame to lose it and for the materials to be reduced to rubble in a landfill,” says executive director Trevor Beemon.

Interested buyers have until Jan. 17 to submit an application. The winner will be notified by Jan. 31.

A deal to turn the two acres at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway into a car wash (even if the house stayed) fell apart in 2023 and preservationists have used the time to come up with something else with the property owner. The early goal was to keep the house where it is but relocation became an option.

“We have been negotiating with them about five years. They finally agreed to donate the house to us so that we could arrange for it to be removed. We are offering it for $1 because we know it will be costly to relocate and renovate,” said Beemon.

The land will go to a developer who is expected to build a multi-tenant development, he said. “Yes, it's a different buyer. He has a childhood connection to the house and is supportive of our efforts to save the house.”

The broker representing the property seller declined to answer the Picket’s questions.

Are there really soldier bloodstains upstairs?

Metro Atlanta residents and visitors alike decry the dearth of physical remnants of the Civil War, but there are a few pockets of preserved land in the region, most notably Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in Cobb County.

Click to enlarge map of several Civil War clashes in Cobb County (ABPP)

Cobb County was the scene of significant combat action and troop movement as the Confederates tried to stall Sherman’s relentless campaign on Atlanta, which began in May 1864 in North Georgia.

After the seizure of Big Shanty (Kennesaw) by Federal forces on June 9, Garrard’s cavalry division was posted on the left flank during operations on the Kennesaw Mountain front.

While there were some small towns, including Marietta and Big Shanty, most citizens lived on farms.

“The house was originally situated on hundreds of acres of agricultural land,” said Beemon. “Over the years, the property has been sold off and reduced to just under two acres where the house now sits. There is a barn and well on the property. Both are currently being relocated through a separate agreement.”

The property's barn also is being relocated (Cobb Landmarks)

Today, the McAfee home is bordered by a shopping center, drug store, school and other commercial buildings. It is a few miles north of Marietta and in the Town Center area. Kennesaw is to the west across Interstates 475 and 75.

The house is built of pine timbers joined with wooden pegs. It has original heart pine floors (currently under carpet) and plank walls and ceilings beneath modern additions. The residence features a central hallway. It has not been occupied for many years, said Beemon.

Cobb Landmarks maintains the site was reportedly used as a field hospital following a skirmish near McAfee’s Crossroads on June 11, 1864. Bloodstains are reported to be visible on the floorboards in an upstairs bedroom, although carpet conceals the spot today. 

“We are careful to say ‘purportedly when referencing the bloodstains and use as a field hospital,” said Beemon.

The farm was believed to have been occupied by Confederates, too, during the Atlanta Campaign action around Kennesaw Mountain.

This state marker does not provide protection (Photo by Michael Cruce / HMdb.org)

Property has no local historic designation

Beemon said there is no requirement the house remain in Cobb County, though keeping it there would be viewed favorably by the review committee.

“We have received a number of inquiries with most expressing interest in the home remaining in Cobb. One inquiry, in particular, is especially interesting; however, we are unable to share any details.”

The organization would like to see the property returned to its original intended use, but would be happy to see it used as a public space or business as well.

Cobb Landmarks is requiring the house to be protected by a preservation easement to ensure the exterior will retain its historic integrity and that the structure will be protected from demolition. (At right, timber framing for floor)

Preservationists have worked for years to protect the house, including through meetings with local government officials and developers. The McAfee home has no designated historic protection and is not on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Because the house is located in unincorporated Cobb, it would have to be landmarked by the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission, preferably with the blessing of the property owner. That never happened. There is a (1954) state historic marker in front of the house marking the significance of the site, but it affords no protection,” said Beemon.

Mandy Elliott, a Cobb County historic preservation planner, said the owners of the house never contacted the commission to request such a designation and did not respond when the county reached out. Therefore, the matter was never considered by the Cobb County Historic Preservation Commission, Elliott said.

Basic requirements for a local historic designation include nomination of the property to be placed on the Cobb County Register of Historic Places, research on the site’s historic and architectural significance, a report detailing justification of a designation and public hearings leading to a final vote by the county commission.

No one has lived in the home for more than a decade (Photos, Cobb Landmarks)

“Local historic designation provides protection by requiring review and approval of exterior changes by the Historic Preservation Commission,” Elliott wrote in an email. “This would be projects that permanently alter the historic character of the property, including additions, new siding, new windows, porches, etc." The planner added it protects properties from removal and demolition.

A county commissioner told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2023 resolving the McAfee home situation was complicated. “We all want to save historic structures. The hard part is finding an entity,” said JoAnn Birrell.

Mission accomplished, but a piece of history will move

Carol Brown, co-founder of Canton Road Neighbors, a nonprofit that keeps a close eye on zoning issues, told The AJC in 2023 she hoped the house would stay on site, perhaps becoming a museum. The home is the last remaining pre-Civil War structure in the busy Town Center corridor.

“Think of all the school kids who could visit the house,” she told the newspaper. Brown also cites its proximity to the Noonday Creek Trailhead.

She told the Picket recently there was a friends group formed for the McAfee House but there was no meaningful support from the public or local government. An engineer said bringing the house up to code would have cost about $250,000, Brown said.

“Given the desire of the landowner to sell the land, and realizing that it would be better to remove the house for preservation, I congratulate Trevor Beemon for finally completing the transaction,” Brown said. “The house will be preserved and in private hands.”

She suggests Cobb County could dedicate a corner to mark the location of the house, perhaps with a monument, such as a cannon and new historic marker.

“Not seeing the house on the corner of Bells Ferry and Barrett where it has been since the mid-1800s will be a shock to the public. Seeing the land clear cut and graded and developed for commercial use will be an additional shock,” Brown said.

2024's Top 12 Picket posts: Fort Fisher earthworks, Meade's cool hat, replica gun at Walmart, USS Monitor mystery, Burning of Darien survivor -- and much more

Clockwise: Enfield rifles conserved in Georgia; Herb Peck collection auction, Adam Strain building in Darien, Ga., deadline at Andersonville prison, George Meade's slouch hat and Fort Fisher's new replica traverses

Posts about a rescued tabby warehouse that has an interesting Civil War connection, Fort Fisher's rebuilt earthworks and new visitor center, George Meade’s cool slouch hat and rusted Enfield rifles being kept in an aquarium tank were big reader draws in 2024.

The top 12 Civil War Picket posts – by Blogger page views – covered a wide array of topics (two pertain to North Carolina's Fort Fisher).

Chad Jefferds, assistant site manager at Fort Fisher State Historic Site, recently told the Picket: “The reconstructed earthworks are already a major hit, and we hope to be adding more interpretation to them in the coming months. Visitors have also been very pleased with the exhibits, along with the views from the second-floor windows and balcony. We have seen a dramatic increase in visitation – this November’s total was 56% higher than November of 2023.”

We’ve got a few items in the works (including an update on Enfield rifles under conservation and Georgia troop markers at Manassas) and we look forward to rolling them out in early 2025. Thanks so much for your continued interest. Please tell a friend or two about us. And Happy New Year!

Drum roll, please ....

12. PRECIOUS PORTRAITS AUCTIONED: The family of the late Herb Peck Jr. enlisted the help of law enforcement, other collectors and Military Images magazine in their hunt for 117 photographs taken during a 1978 burglary at their Nashville home. Forty-eight recovered images sold for $292,000 in a March sale. – Read more

11. CROSSING “DEADLINE” MEANT DEATH: The light railing at Andersonville in Georgia was made from posts 3 to 4 feet long and driven into the ground. Horizontal pieces of wood topped the design, which was roughly 18-19 feet inside the stockade wall. Confederate guards in sentry boxes kept a sharp eye for POWs who extended any part of their body past the deadline. – Read more

10. LITTLE ROUND TOP BACK IN BUSINESS: A two-year rehabilitation of the Gettysburg landmark tackled erosion, overwhelmed parking areas, poor accessibility and related safety hazards, and degraded vegetation. This January post ahead of the reopening summarized the major project. – Read more

9. HOW THEY CLEAN ENFIELDS KEPT IN WATER: A team with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources uses a garden hose, small pump, spray nozzle and a wet-dry vacuum to periodically clean and refill a 300-gallon aquarium tank that holds -- of all things -- 18 Pattern 1853 Enfield rifles. The artifacts are awaiting long-term conservation. – Read more

8. VANDALS TRASH KENNESAW MOUNTAIN: Vandals destroyed or damaged six signs, several sections of split-rail fencing and caused minor damage to Civil War earthworks at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park in late January. As of this month, no arrests have been made. – Read more

7. Q&A WITH GETTYSBURG SUPERINTENDENT: The Picket asked Kristina Heister (right) about her priorities and initiatives, current and future projects and her ancestors. Many fought in the Civil War and two were at Gettysburg. – Read more

6. GEORGE MEADE’S COOL HEADGEAR: If I ever get around to writing “Cool Hats of the Civil War,” my top choice (spoiler alert!) will go to Union Maj. Gen. George Meade’s slouch hat, followed closely by those of Ambrose E. Burnside and J.E.B. Stuart. There are great images of him with that headgear: In front if his tent; seated among a throng of soldiers, or perched on a bench at the famous Grant "Council of War" at Massaponax Church in Virginia. – Read more

5. FORT FISHER, PART ONE: The staff at the Civil War site near Kure Beach, North Carolina, and contractors engaged in an extraordinary effort this year to recreate three traverses, bombproofs, a magazine and a sally port that were vital parts of the Confederate fort, which fell in furious hand-to-hand combat in January 1865.. – Read more

4. FORT FISHER, PART TWO: This piece previewed the earthworks project mentioned above and the building of a new visitor center, which is just north of the east-west line mounds of earth known as traverses that were part of the defenses. Much of the eastern part of the fort has been claimed by the Atlantic Ocean. – Read more

3. REPLICA GUN FOUND AT WALMART: A Civil War replica revolver (not the real thing, as some news reports claimed) was found in January by a Walmart employee in Gettysburg, Pa., while emptying an outside trash can. It was a real firearm, however. State troopers recently said they still don’t know who left it. – Read more

2. LINGERING MYSTERY OF USS MONITOR: I continue to marvel at the design and engineering skills of those who made the vessel that changed naval warfare in a single battle with the CSS Virginia in March 1862. My recent foray into learning a bit more about the vessel’s circular, ingenious turret – and its supporting braces -- put me back in touch with experts on Monitor about a distinctive maker’s mark found on a brace. Project director Will Hoffman says they still don't know who stamped an "ULSTER" mark on one brace.  – Read more

1. THEY SAVED A CIVIL WAR SURVIVOR: One of just a few tabby structures remaining on the Georgia coast, this weathered warehouse had survived a controversial fire during the Civil War, hurricanes, economic downturns, Father Time and decades of emptiness. Entrepreneurs Milan and Marion Savic, working with a team of specialists, completed the painstaking restoration of the Adam Strain Building in Darien and turned it into a brewery and event space. They are now working on a museum about the area's history and culture. – Read more

Honorable mentions: This researcher helped obtain Medals of Honor for two soldiers; Wisconsin twins are legendary in reproduction artillery; monument will honor Black hero Robert Smalls. 

Our flag was still there: 'The Demon of Unrest' brings attention to the march to war, Fort Sumter's brave commander and the return of Old Glory after Union triumph

Souvenir from April 1865 flag-raising (Courtesy Glen Hayes), Peter Hart puts flag back up during 1861 bombardment

If you look closely at the illustration on the dust jacket for Erick Larson’s “The Demon of Unrest,” you will notice something small, but colorful at dead center. The object is surrounded by Fort Sumter’s brick walls, flames and smoke and the bright streaks of incoming artillery fire.

It's the U.S. flag flying defiantly as garrison commander Col. Robert Anderson and his soldiers bravely withstand the furious Confederate bombardment that launched the Civil War in April 1861. Anderson felt not only the burden of defending the bastion, but also safeguarding the American flag. He surrendered only after his supplies were depleted, parts of the interior were on fire and his exhausted, outnumbered troops could not carry on.

I read Larson’s compelling book a couple months back and thought back to two posts I have written about the National Park Service taking three historic Fort Sumter flags off display last year to give them time to rest from exposure to light. Among them is the 20-foot-by 10-foot storm flag, which flew during the 34-hour bombardment.

As Larson recounts, Anderson told Confederates hours before the attack he would not fire “unless compelled to do so by some hostile act against this fort or the flag of my Government."

Some members of the flag-removal team in front of the storm flag at Fort Sumter (NPS photo)

Rebel batteries, naturally, took aim at the storm flag, which has 33 stars, once the early-morning assault began, and they eventually brought it down.

“A ball or shell shattered its staff and the great flag collapsed into the smoke below. ‘Then arose the loudest and longest shout of joy – as if this downfall of the flag, with its cause, was the representation of our victory,’ Southern firebrand Edmund Ruffin wrote in his diary,” Larson writes.

The flag, to the Union garrison, was “a tactile representation of nationhood” and must be made to fly again. (Robert Anderson, left)

“Sumter’s unofficial infantryman, Peter Hart, the New York City police officer who had accompanied Anderson’s wife on her surprise visit to the fort, set off through the smoke and fire and came back with a long spar to replace the shattered flagstaff,” Larson writes. “Hart also retrieved the flag and nailed it by its edge to the spar. He then fixed the spar to a gun carriage on the parapet level, all this while fully exposed to Confederate fire. Once again the wind caught the flag. It did not fly as high as it had, but at intervals wind gusts created temporary clearings that revealed the flag gamely flying amid striations of smoke.”

Confederates treated Anderson and his men honorably after the surrender, and he took the storm flag with him. It immediately became a patriotic symbol for the remainder of the conflict and raised the status of the Star-Spangled Banner to what we know today. Anderson was treated as a hero in North.

As Military Images publisher Ronald S. Coddington wrote, Anderson later told an acquaintance of the flag: “I knew that it would never come down in disgrace.”

In a twist of fate, Anderson, a retired general, returned to Charleston at war’s end to raise the flag again over the battered fortress (more about that below). An aside: Visitors to the fort today who take the first boat river over in the morning can help rangers raise the U.S. flag.

Q&A with Fort Sumter staffer about impact of book

I recently asked Brett Spaulding, chief of interpretation for Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, about the renewed interest on the site brought by “The Demon of Unrest.” (At right, damaged flagpole after Confederate bombardment, Library of Congress)

Q. I am curious as to what kind of attention or questions the book has posed to rangers at the park. Do guests or historians bring up particular aspects of the book's scholarship?

A. “The Demon of Unrest” is frequently mentioned by visitors to Fort Sumter as a reason for their interest in visiting our site. Common questions are about the mindsets of the major players of the pre-Civil War standoff – the courage and inner conflict of Major Robert Anderson, and the march to war among both hardcore secessionists and typical white Charlestonians.

Q. Did the park provide any resources or materials for Larson? Did the staff learn new things from the book that might be helpful with interpretation?

A. Fort Sumter & Fort Moultrie NHP was not involved in the research or writing of “The Demon of Unrest”, though writer Erik Larson visited the fort in the spring of 2024. The book reinforced existing research on the environment of pre-war Charleston, and helped visitors make connections between influential “fire-eater” secessionists and the crisis at Fort Sumter.

Q. The storm flag in particular: Have you learned anything new about it? What details does the park have on its status and location during the bombardment?

A. The book, unfortunately, gives an inaccurate impression of which of our historic flags flew during the bombardment. On page 10, Larson refers to Anderson, within an hour of the bombardment, raising a flag “twenty feet high by thirty-six long” over Fort Sumter. However, a New York Times article dated May 21, 1861, citing conversations with Major Anderson, specifically states that Anderson flew the smaller of his two flags. The smaller of the two flags in our collection, the storm flag, measures ten by twenty feet and was the original flag that flew during the bombardment. Based on historic images of the fort, we believe the flagpole’s original location to be near the left flank of the fort, not far from the fort’s modern-day entrance. (The larger garrison flag was taken down shortly before the bombardment and replaced by the sturdier storm flag.)

Storm flag, top, garrison flag and the Confederate Palmetto Guard flag (NPS)

Q. The Palmetto Guard flag -- Have you learned anything new about it? Did Edmund Ruffin carry it into the fort and hold it during Anderson's surrender? Do you have any idea where it was made and when?

A. We do not have further information on the origins of the Palmetto Guard flag. The earliest citation we have found for it is The New York Times article of December 1, 1860.

Edmund Ruffin’s presence in the Palmetto Guard is backed up by the historical record. We do not have evidence to dispute that the Guard chose to let Ruffin bear the flag – he was a well-known secessionist leader and had been given the honor of firing the first shot from their battery. Contemporary accounts do place Ruffin in the fort on April 14, the day of the ceremony.

Q. Can you please tell me where all three flags are currently being stored, and in what fashion (tube, flat, etc.)? (At left, one of the flags being removed in 2023, NPS photo)

A. The Palmetto flag and the storm flag are both stored in our curatorial facility. The garrison flag is stored in a trusted specialty art storage facility in Texas via government contract due to its immense size and more fragile nature. All three flags are stored and were professionally packed by a team of conservators, museum staff and art movers. The flags are interleaved with and wrapped with archival materials and are stored rolled an archival tube for preservation purposes. 

Q.  I know the Harpers Ferry Center experts have said they all will need some kind of work, mounts, repairs, new frames, etc. at some point. Has any of that work begun, or is it too early?

A. The garrison flag specifically has been identified as needing additional conservation work. Plans for this work have been prepared but will not go into effect until the permanent home for this flag is ready (this includes facility and exhibit renovations). This is to ensure the flag is packed and moved as few times as possible while it transitions from its current storage unit to the conservation lab, and finally to its permanent home. We are currently speculating that this work may be able to be scheduled in approximately three years.

Q. How long do you think each banner will be kept in the dark, so to speak?

A. Currently, the answer to this question is uncertain. The park does not plan on returning any flags to exhibit at Fort Sumter specifically due to the difficulty with accessing this site in the event of an emergency, and the higher difficulty with safely moving the flags to and from this site. The flags could go on exhibit at other sites and through other means. The most likely involves ongoing plans for a redesign of exhibit spaces at Liberty Square. 

Q. Has any decision or further discussion been had on the fate of the three flags?

A. Discussions about the flags are active and ongoing. The park is devoted to ensuring that all flags are properly cared for and stored. The garrison flag has been the largest point of discussion and planning since it is the only flag currently off site and in need of conservation. The Palmetto and storm flags are both stable, and their future plans will be determined when exhibit renovations are scheduled and planned.

POSTSCRIPT: Collector has flag-raising relic

Storm flag (waving behind white pole) about to be raised in 1865 (Library of Congress)

Glen Hayes of New York has collected Gettysburg artifacts and memorabilia for about 57 years (more on that in a future post), but he also has a few Fort Sumter-related items.

The most prominent is a souvenir from April 14, 1865, when Anderson, 59, and his son returned to the fort to again raise the storm flag he took with him in 1861. In June 2023, Military Images magazine wrote about ferns, loose flowers and bouquets that had been placed near the flag before its raising, a symbol of a restored union.

Hayes bought the relic that features mounted remnants of the flora and a portrait of Anderson and an uncommon photograph taken inside the fort that day, showing the large flag attached to two poles decorated with bunting.

The Military Images article states Anderson cried and told the large crowd that it had been “the cherished wish of my heart” to restore the flag to its rightful place. With him was Peter Hart, the man who reattached the flag during the bombardment four years before.

Photo of Robert Anderson by Brady (Courtesy Glen Hayes) / Storm flag (Library of Congress)

“With the reading of Psalms concluded, Hart stepped forward carrying a mailbag that contained the original flag, nail holes and all. At this the crowd broke into a tumult of cheers. Three Navy sailors attached the flag to a halyard; they added roses, mock orange blossoms, and an evergreen wreath,” wrote Larson.

Hayes told the Picket in an email he bought the item from a relic dealer in about 1981. The caption reads: “Some of the leaves & ferns that fell from the boquet on the flag raised in position from where the Confederates made us take it down at Fort Sumpter SC in the Civil War. 1865”

The maker of the collage is not known.

“I purchased it because it was a good example of the end of the Civil War. Also, the relic is what you would call a ‘silent witness’ to the events of that day,” Hayes said. “Also, because it had the uncommon scene of the actual flag as it was being raised. It is ironic looking at the picture and seeing all the happy people in the photo, they not knowing that that evening Pres. Lincoln would be assassinated. Also, that Lincoln had been invited to the ceremony but couldn't attend. How history could have changed if he went.”

Gun tool for Austrian weapon (Courtesy Glen Hayes)

Hayes years ago acquired a piece of wood from the Star of the West, a vessel Confederates fired upon in January 1861 when it attempted to supply the Federal garrison, an episode thoroughly documented in “The Demon of Unrest.”

The other item is a gun tool for a model 1854 Austrian Lorenz rifle. “Both sides used that rifle but seeing how the Confederates occupied Fort Sumter for 4 years it was probably from a Confederate soldier,” Hayes told the Picket.

Pieces of a Civil War statue pulverized by big rig in an Ohio township were reassembled. Now the old soldier is guiding efforts to build a new monument

The Sherman statue was reassembled piece by piece to serve as a guide (Photos Nicholas Fairplay)

English-born Nicholas Fairplay has carved gargoyles, lions and even the severed head of John the Baptist -- providing museum-quality creations to cathedrals and historic buildings around the world.

But it is the replica of a simple statue of a Civil War soldier that now has the attention of Fairchild, who has toiled for years in the Cleveland area.

A tractor trailer rig struck the monument in the rural village of LaGrange, Ohio, on June 28, 2022. The granite memorial, which was made up of several pieces, was shattered. Even the soldier's head was broken off.

The community’s spirit, however, was not squashed.

After finalizing a $923,244 settlement with the trucking company’s insurance company, LaGrange Township hired Fairplay and Cleveland Quarries to make new versions of the statue and other parts of the monument. (At left, the monument before its destruction, photo LaGrange Township)

They are working from the original statue -- painstakingly glued together by Fairplay and an assistant to use as a template for the new one. “We saved every shard of granite we could possibly pick up,” said LaGrange Township trustee Rita Canfield.

The township hopes the fixture at the intersection of routes 301 and 303 (Main Street) will be back up for Memorial Day 2025. That coincides with the 200^th anniversary of the township and the 150^th for the village. (They are separate political entities).

To say the Sherman monument, as locals call it, is vital to the area’s identity might be an understatement. It sits smack dab in the middle of the community, which has about 2,500 residents.

Fairplay says you can drive through LaGrange in about two minutes. “When you are at the statue in the middle, you drive an eighth of a mile, you are out of the town either way.”

The township is determined that the new Sherman is faithful to the old one in every way, from the pose and flag of the Federal soldier to the stacked blocks below him that feature battles and the names of area men who served and died in the war.

There was discussion on where to get the granite, with Georgia as an option. Forget that.

“The community said it could not get it from the South. They had to get it from the North,” said Canfield. The decision was to procure it again from a quarry in Vermont. Another operation in that state provided the stone for the original 1903 statue.

The piece was shattered into dozens of pieces, including its head (Photos LaGrange Township)

Fairplay told the Picket the Sherman monument was nicely done. He has worked on a couple other Civil War memorials.

“These little towns, when you go to them, it is shocking how many died,” he said.

The master carver is working in a studio at Cleveland Quarries, which is milling the soldier for carving by Fairplay. The company also is producing all the pieces below the figure at its operation in Vermilion.

“There has been a lot of surprise from people when they hear the monument would be rebuilt,” said Cleveland Quarries president Zach Carpenter. “They assume (that) after some of the controversy with different historical monuments in other parts of the country. We are very proud to be a part of this project and are extremely happy it is being returned to its original state.”

Nicholas Fairplay will work from this milled granite once it is complete (Cleveland Quarries)

Statue was turned around to face the South

The monument is owned by the township and is the center point of the village.

The base carried the names of LaGrange area residents who served during the Civil War, the names of a few battles and of Union generals Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman, Philip Sheridan and George Thomas. Though the statue is not of Sherman – who was from Ohio – his name stuck.

The township points out that Sherman faced north for the first decade of his life. He was turned around, with the explanation that “a good solider never turned his back on the enemy.”

After the traffic accident, officials ensured that virtually every piece, down to chips, of the monument were stored so they could serve as a guide for the replica.

Before and after the truck crash that took out the monument, flagpole and more

Truckers often use Route 301 through town. A series of crashes, culminating with the loss of the soldier, prompted officials to place bright yellow metal poles – known as bollards – to warn motorists of the vulnerable circle.

Cleveland Quarries will donate large sandstone blocks to replace the bollards. “We are pretty confident if someone fails to stop, if they hit the couple tons they will come to a stop,” Canfield said in a bit of understatement.

There are aesthetic reasons, too, said Carpenter.

“In doing site visits, we thought would be far more attractive to have natural stones in place of the yellow bollards,” he said. “I personally am from a community very near LaGrange and wanted to be sure that the monument would look as best (as) possible when complete.”

One of the Civil War campaigns being noted in the new monument (Cleveland Quarries)

Canfield said the settlement will fund the monument, a new flagpole, lights and other infrastructure on the circle. “It could not be better spent. The insurance settlement was an attempt to make this community whole. We are not using taxpayer money,” she said.

They scanned original as guide to cutting block

While New Hampshire is known as the Granite State, its neighbor Vermont has plenty for sale.

Cleveland Quarries and Fairplay will work with Stanstead grey stone from Polycor. “We are part of an enduring Vermont industry centered in Barre, dating back to the period just after the War of 1812,” Polycor says on its website.

“The most challenging part of this project so far has been the size and weight of the granite. One of the blocks procured was well over 50,000 pounds at the start,” Carpenter said. “We had the blocks cut at the quarry and then had to cut them two more times in several cases to get the pieces required. While we have some of the largest CNC stone saws available certain parts of the project pushed our capacity to the limit.” (At right, Nicholas Fairplay shows off the reassembled statue. Photo LaGrange Township)

A 10,000-pound block of granite was shipped for the soldier’s statue. Incidentally, the design of the soldier came from a pattern used to produce similar pieces across the North.

Craftsmen used a wand to scan the glued-back soldier and that was projected into a computer. “They kind of stitched it together. They put it into a 3D model you can rotate,” said Fairplay.

Cleveland Quarries is milling the statue, using a router to cut out the basic form. Carpenter said he expects to finish that piece this week and have it ready for Fairplay to get to work. “It comes off like a blob,” said the carver.

From there, he and an assistant will use a pneumatic chisel to do the exacting details. It will take them several months, while Fairplay splits time with a project for the Hellenistic Preservation Society of Northeastern Ohio.

The benefits and risks of using granite

I asked Fairplay, 67, to extol the virtues of various stone used in carving larger pieces.

While marble is gorgeous, it has a hard time standing up to Ohio’s climate. Marble really needs to be inside.” Limestone, he says, is durable.

Granite is the most durable, being impervious to water. Carvers, however, crave a very fine form of the stone. “You can’t quite get as fine a detail as marble.” (At left, preparing to mount the head of the original Civil War statue. Photo Nicholas Fairplay)

“The granite tools are much blunter” and the material is not as forgiving, said Fairplay, who has plied the trade since he was 16. The dust from granite is carcinogenic so he and the assistant will be wearing a mask and using extraction fans.

The carver will work on the statue and crossed rifles on a block below.

Fairplay describes the soldier as having undersized feet and hands. “I think his legs are a little shorter for this height.”

“He is carved quite simple but (is) a heroic, nostalgic statue. It is not a Greek or Roman statue emphasizing portraiture.” The work will include the U.S. flag leaning out and a tree stump next to the right leg. “Most have tree stumps or drapery because the weight of the statue will not be (supported) by the ankles,” said Fairplay.

“The only tricky bit is the piercing between the hands and legs.”

Carver decries removal of Civil War monuments

The monument very much harkens the Victorian age of sentimentality and pride. “The eyes are done very deep,” Fairplay observed.

Canfield, the township trustee, says local folks strongly support veterans, including the display of honor wreaths and related events.

And Fairplay feels strongly about historic monuments, citing the removal of Civil War statues, mostly in the South.

“To lose that kind of history is a big mistake. I get really angry at them taking Confederate ones down, too. It is ridiculous.” He says art is an easy target.

As for Cleveland Quarries, craftsmen will ensure pieces are identical to the original. (At right, rubbings of the words on the monument to be used for replica stones. Photo LaGrange Township)

“Most important and detailed will be the list of names that was damaged,” said Carpenter. “We have already gone to great lengths to reassemble the broken pieces and cross reference historical documents to make sure the names will appear exactly as they did.”

As for the original Sherman once his replica is made? There’s talk of him being saved, perhaps on display somewhere.