Confederate Memorial Gateway in Hickman
The Confederate Memorial Gateway in Hickman was designed by Sir Moses Ezekiel and built by NcNeal Marble of Marietta, Georgia. Constructed over ten years at a cost of $10,000, the granite structure has a solid granite back and decorative front. It includes a central opening for vehicles and two side openings for pedestrians. The names of seventy Confederate soldiers are carved on its surface, and the top inscription reads, "1861- Our Heroes -1865." Although it was built in a cemetery, the monument was intended mainly to commemorate the Confederate States of America.
© C. Bedford Crenshaw · Attribution
© C. Bedford Crenshaw · Attribution
© C. Bedford Crenshaw · Attribution
Identification | |
| Also known as | Memorial Gateway |
| Name | Confederate Memorial Gateway in Hickman |
Historical context | |
| Historical context | Hickman was strategically located on the Mississippi River and was held by both sides during the American Civil War. Hickman was strongly pro-Confederate during the war. After the Confederates lost control of the county in 1862, the area suffered occasional raids by Confederate cavalry. |
Creator | |
| Designer | Sir Moses Ezekiel |
| Builder | McNeal Marble Company of Marietta, Georgia |
Physical characteristics | |
| Openings | One central opening for vehicles and two side openings for pedestrians |
| Names inscribed | The names of seventy Confederate soldiers are carved on the structure |
| Inscription | "1861 - Our Heroes - 1865" |
| Back | Solid granite |
| Front | Ornamented |
| Material | Granite |
| Type | Gateway / portal-shaped monument |
Discovery and provenance | |
| Location context | Built in a cemetery |
History and restoration | |
| Construction time | Ten years |
| Construction cost | US$10,000 |
Iconography and meaning | |
| Historical interpretation | Because of its size and the time that passed after the war before it was built, it was intended mainly to memorialize the Confederate States of America rather than to mourn them. |
Location and ownership | |
| National Register of Historic Places listing date | July 17, 1997 |
Significance | |
| National Register context | One of 61 Civil War monuments in Kentucky listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of a multiple property listing of Civil War monuments |
| Related monument | Confederate Memorial Gates in Mayfield |
| Related monument in Fulton County | Fulton Confederate Monument, about 20 miles east in Fulton, Kentucky |