San Antonio officials have decided that a historic monument near the Alamo must be relocated as part of the $450 million plan to redevelop the Alamo. The move is guaranteed to stir passions.
News 4 San Antonio reports that City Councilman Roberto Trevino say the Cenotaph monument doesn't fit on-site and obscures views. He says the city isn't considering leaving the 60-foot in its current location.
The monument was erected in celebration of the centenary of the battle, and bears the names of those known to have fought there on the Texas side.
Relocating the structure has been the most vocally opposed issue in the plan proposed in 2014 by the city, Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush, and the nonprofit Alamo Endowment. Most of the plan includes maintenance and infrastructure improvements.
Residents and historians and citizens throughout the state have raised alarm bells about the removal of he statue, which commemorates the Alamo defenders killed in the 1836 battle. Legend says that some the burned remains of the bodies of those killed in the siege were buried on the site of the cenotaph. A 1940 newspaper article says many of the defenders died on the spot.
Residents have raised concerns about the road closures required during a move. Historians and others have raised the logistical challenges of moving the structure without destroying it, due to its age and fragility. The proposed move has prompted protests from citizens and historical advocacy groups.
During the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration, the state of Texas provided $100,000 for the monument, commissioned from local sculptor Pompeo Coppini. San Antonio mayor Maury Maverick held a dedication ceremony on November 11, 1940. (See Wikipedia article.)
The shaft rises sixty feet from its base and is forty feet long and twelve feet wide. The monument was erected in grey Georgia marble and pink Texas granite. It was entitled The Spirit of Sacrifice and incorporates images of the Alamo garrison leaders and 187 names of Alamo defenders known at the time it was constructed.
Inconsiderate, populists decision. Cenotaph is great historical monument it has also undoubted artistic value. Please be smart, do not move it!
ReplyDeleteSure wish the decision could be made only by those who can trace their ancestry to Texas before 1845.... those are the ones who really care about the cenotaph and understand that it is an empty tomb on the battlefield to commemorate those who contributed to Texas Independence with their lives at the site of their sacrifice. DO NOT MOVE THEIR TOMB!
ReplyDeleteIt should not be moved. It was dedicated on that sight. I don't know what they are talking about "obstructing views." MOST Texans want it to be left where it is. Since when do a few politicians make decisions about changing our Texas history? The Alamo is a symbol of freedom in Texas. This monument was erected here in honor of all the fallen heroes. The citizens of Texas should decide. Not a city council. I agree that the Alamo Defenders' Descendants should have a say in this. This is their ancestors' tomb. It would be highly disrespectful to move it.
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