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John Brown Gordon statue

John Brown Gordon statue is an equestrian monument on the grounds of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia. Designed by Solon Borglum, it was dedicated in 1907 with great fanfare. The monument honors John Brown Gordon, a Confederate Army general during the Civil War who later became a politician in post-Reconstruction Georgia. In recent years, the statue has become controversial because of Gordon’s racist views and his associations with the Confederacy, and some people have called for its removal.

John Brown Gordon equestrian statue on a tall stone pedestal in front of a domed capitol building.
The John Brown Gordon statue stands in front of the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
John Brown Gordon statue silhouetted against the Georgia State Capitol dome and blue sky.
The John Brown Gordon statue stands in front of the Georgia State Capitol dome in Atlanta.
May 2011 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Granite pedestal for the John Brown Gordon statue with the name GORDON carved on the front and part of the bronze equestrian figure above it.
The granite pedestal of the John Brown Gordon statue, marked “GORDON,” with part of the bronze equestrian figure visible above.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bronze relief panel from the John Brown Gordon statue showing a mounted figure reaching toward a standing man raising his hat.
A close-up of the John Brown Gordon monument’s bronze relief panel, with a mounted figure reaching toward a man who lifts his hat.
April 2017 © · Public domain
Bronze bas-relief plaque on the John Brown Gordon statue showing mounted soldiers in a battle scene.
Bas-relief plaque on the John Brown Gordon statue depicting a cavalry charge scene.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleJohn Brown Gordon statue
TypeBronze equestrian statue
SubjectJohn Brown Gordon

Creator

SculptorSolon Borglum
Pedestal designerAlexander Campbell Bruce

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byJohn B. Gordon Memorial Association
Association presidentWilliam Lowndes Calhoun
FundingThe association raised funds, but an additional $25,000 from the state government was required to complete the project
Pedestal supplierMcNeel Marble Works

Historical context

Proposed byClement A. Evans
Planning meetingJanuary 19, 1904, at the Georgia State Capitol with groups including the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the United Confederate Veterans
PurposeTo honor John Brown Gordon after his death on January 9, 1904

Physical characteristics

DimensionsApproximately long, wide, and tall; exact measurements not provided in the fragment
Pedestal materialGranite
MaterialBronze statue on a granite pedestal

Appearance

DepictionGordon is shown as an elderly man in Confederate uniform
Horse modelMarye, Gordon's war horse during the American Civil War
Pedestal inscriptionGordon's surname on the front of the pedestal
Side plaquesPlaques on both sides of the pedestal depict Gordon
Left plaqueGordon on horseback during the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House
Right plaqueA standing portrait of Gordon with the words "GOVERNOR PATRIOT SENATOR" beneath him
Rear plaqueA life history of Gordon from his birth through his military and political career to his death in 1904
Planned but unrealized companion monumentsRobert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and the "common soldier" were proposed as additional monuments, but budget problems prevented them from being built

Location and ownership

Statue depicted personJohn Brown Gordon, a Confederate general, U.S. Senator from Georgia, and Governor of Georgia
LocationGrounds of the Georgia State Capitol, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Current distinctionAtlanta's only equestrian statue

History and restoration

DedicationDedicated with great fanfare
Dedication speakerClement A. Evans
Unveiled byTwo daughters of John Brown Gordon
Governor present at dedicationJoseph M. Terrell
Dedication contextThe ceremony took place less than a year after the Atlanta massacre of 1906
Public reception at dedicationA choir sang "Dixie" and the unveiling drew loud cheers from many spectators
Model exhibitionA plaster model of the statue was exhibited in April 1908 at a National Sculpture Society art exhibition in Baltimore
Dedication dateMay 25, 1907

Significance

Letter to governorOn June 8, Bob Trammell asked Governor Brian Kemp to remove the statue, calling its connection to hate overwhelming and its presence divisive and offensive
Descendants' reasonThey said the statue's primary purpose was to celebrate and mythologize Confederate white supremacists
Descendants' petitionForty-four of Gordon's descendants sent an open letter to Governor Kemp asking for the statue's removal from the Capitol grounds
Arrest related to statueOn June 11, a protester was arrested for writing "tear down" with chalk on the monument
Security responseA barricade was erected around the Capitol grounds during protests
Calls for removalSome people have called for its removal, including many protesters during the 2020 George Floyd protests in Atlanta
Hashtag#TEARDOWNGORDON
State protection lawIn 2019, Georgia passed a law prohibiting the removal of Confederate monuments and memorials
Historical interpretationKenneth W. Noe described the statue and others on the Capitol grounds as symbols of the Confederate Lost Cause
Proposed restriction legislationAfter the 2015 Charleston church shooting, a state senator proposed a law banning official recognition of Confederate symbols, including the Gordon statue
ControversySince 2015, the statue has been criticized and become a figure of controversy because of Gordon's racist views and associations with the Confederacy

Other

Artist family noteSolon Borglum's brother Gutzon Borglum was the first sculptor to work on the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial