Alachua County is asking an advisory board for help in finding a new home for the “Old Joe” statue currently located in downtown Gainesville.
After the South Carolina church shooting in 2015, Gainesville residents questioned the historical significance and underlying meaning of the Confederate soldier statue located at the corner of University Avenue and Main Street. The Matheson History Museum has refused the statue due to the cost of moving it, which has been estimated to be more than $36,000.
Mark Sexton, the communication and legislative affairs director for Alachua County, said that because the museum declined the statue, its next request is for the Alachua County Veterans Services advisory board to offer a suggestion for the statue’s location.
When the board makes its official recommendation, the county will then add the moving of Old Joe back to its agenda, he said.
“The statue had a lot of meaning to a lot of people,” Sexton said. “Wherever the statue ends up, we want to be sure that it is shown respect and is well taken care of.”
Peggy Macdonald, the director of the museum, said the county didn’t consult the museum when asking it to take Old Joe last fall.
“It’s a very one-sided agreement,” she said. “We can’t take on the burden of a campaign that we haven’t planned for.”
Sexton said finding comprise about the statue’s future has been difficult. Some residents say the statute has historical significance, but others find it offensive.
“Part of the challenge is trying to please everyone,” he said.
