No Documents exist showing the Beauregard Monument Association (BMA) or the Louisiana Division United Daughters of the Confederacy (LDUDC) transferred the PGT Beauregard Statue to the City of New Orleans.
Rather in 1905, City Park issued a letter tendering the land know as Beauregard Circle to the BMA with the location to be determined by the UDC. The UDC has asked for the statue to be returned. City Park refuses to respond.
In 1899 New Orleans, the aging members of the BMA asked the local chapter of the Louisiana Division United Daughters of the Confederacy (LDUDC) to help them raise funds for the creation of the bronze equestrian statue of Louisiana native, Gen. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard. Many of these women were the actual daughters of the BMA and took the project on to honor their fathers.
In 2019, following the removal of the Beauregard equestrian statue by unjustifiable demand of then mayor of New Orleans, the LA UDC submitted a formal written request to reclaim the artwork and it’s base.
The request was sent to both New Orleans City leaders and the current Board of New Orleans City Park for the statue, which is housed at the city’s Emergency Maintenance Services (EMS) vehicle repair yard facility and the statue’s base located inside a storage barn at City Park.
Annually on PGT Beauregard’s birthday, which is on Memorial Day weekend, members of the UDC organized and gathered to place a wreath at the PGT Beauregard statue. Since the removal of the statue, signs have been placed annually with PGT Beauregard’s 1873 Desegregation chant: “Equal Rights! One Flag! One Country! One People!”
The 1873 Louisiana Unification Movement started by PGT Beauregard.
Beauregard said in an address published in July 1873 in papers including The New Orleans Republican and The Daily Picayune: “I am persuaded that the natural relation between the white and colored people is that of friendship,”
“I am persuaded that their interests are identical; that their destinies in this state, where the two races are equally divided, are linked together; and that there is no prosperity for Louisiana which must not be the result of their cooperation.
“I am equally convinced that the evils anticipated by some men from the practical enforcement of equal rights are mostly imaginary, and that the relation of the races in the exercise of these rights will speedily adjust themselves to the satisfaction of all.”
Link to interview with Jeff Crouere on Beauregard statue
Link to interview on PGT Beauregard’s life in New Orleans
The Monument could have been placed across the street at Camp Nicholls Veterans Home which was build with private money.
It is believed a motive for the City Park Improvement Association was the desire for a great piece of art at the newly created Monteleone Gate at Bayou St. John.
Numerous Documents Exist from 1905 to 1908 including the minutes of CPIA, a Tender Letter they wrote to the BMA in 1905, The Dedication Programs of the Land Ceremony, and the Newspaper accounts of the event.
NOCPIA boosts that its detailed minutes are available on-line. The 1905-1908 minutes show a Resolution was passed to ‘Tender for Free’ the land known as Beauregard City and to work with a committee consisting of the UDC to pick the location.
Newspaper reported the Tender of the land by City Park ceremony
While City Park has publicly been evasive to questions on ownership of the art, a private email by John Hopper indicates they have known since 2015 that they do not own the art.
Comments to the media are evasive.
In 2017, the City Attorney of New Orleans filed a legal brief that neither the state of Louisiana nor City Park have ever claimed they owned the art. The brief did not claim the City of New Orleans owned the art either.
In Saint Louis, a similar situation occurred. In April 2015, two months before Mitch Landrieu announced he wanted to remove a monument, Mayor Slayer announced he was going to remove a monument.
However Mayor Slayer was challenged over ownership rights to the monument. The newly elected Mayor settled the situation by agreeing that the UDC owned the monument and would remove it.
In 2015 NOCPIA met with Mitch Landrieu regarding the Beauregard Monument and Park Funding
In June 2015 former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stated he wanted to remove the statue. However, Landrieu had yet to research ownership of the statue. Like other art in City Park, the statue was on loan.
City Park CEO, Bob Becker and City Park Improvement Association President (NOCPIA) Susan Hess had the annual meeting with the Mayor approaching. On the agenda was the Beauregard Statue. Also on the agenda was having City Park receive funds from the City of New Orleans.
Prior to the meeting, Bob Becker sent a packet to the Mayor’s office which contained the 1999 application by City Park to place the PGT Beauregard statue on the National Historic Register.
The Application has four classifications of ownership. City Park checked off the Ownership of the statue as “Private.” The application also mentioned that the UDC raised 60% of the cost of the statue.
Following the meeting Bob Becker reported to NOCPIA at a public meeting that he had met with the mayor, but omitted any information on the PGT Beauregard Monument and Art.
NOCPIA Reports Title to Art Never Transferred to City Park
In September 2015, City Park Communications Director John Hopper was interviewed by WRNO radio and admitted that no one had ever transferred title to City Park of the art. New Orleans City Council Member Jason Williams was asked about monument ownership and declined to respond.
From 2015-2020, NOCPIA has been silent on monument ownership.
In 2017, Mitch Landrieu advised NOCPIA President Steve Pettus, that Landrieu was taking the monument.
Charles Marsala began informing NOCPIA in September 2018 of his research on ownership of the PGT Beauregard art.
Link to Video Informing City Park Improvement Association Board of Documents
Walter Isaacson at Newman School saying he fought to keep up the PGT Beauregard Statue
City Park leases or tenders land to outside enterprises providing services at the park such as Coffee, Dining, or boat rentals. It is plausible that in 1905, the board “Tendered” meaning to give to lease for free to the land known as Beauregard Circle to the BMA.
The NOPIA minutes are on-line.
Link to City Park Board minutes 1891-1924
NOCPIA’s Legal Position and Expenses
NOCPIA’s Legal Position and Expenses
It was discovered that City Park spent over $100,000.00 in legal fees with its contract attorney to research the issue.
In August 2018, we filed Public Records Requests asking for a copy of the file and emails discussing the research. To:Bob Becker,Henry Kinney
Aug 26 at 2:49 PM
Public Records Request 18-1003
Any records collected, or organized, or filed, or in the possession of the City Park Staff regarding the transfer of ownership of the Statue of PGT Beauregard statue to the Park or to the City of New Orleans.
Regards,
Charles Marsala
We have been denied the documents. Louisiana has a “Sunshine Law” requiring Public Agencies to produce access to documents in 3 Days per the Public’s Right to Know. The reason given was:
Henry Kinney <[email protected]>
To:charles marsala
Sep 25 at 1:38 PM
Mr. Marsala,
On behalf of the NOCPIA I respond to your email as follows ( my comments are highlighted.):
NOCPIA does not respond to requests for documents that a staff person may or may not have relied on. That would require a subjective speculative guess.
The NOCPIA board takes its responsibility to adhere to the Louisiana Public Records laws and has done so in the past and will do so in the future.
Henry W. Kinney
Kinney, Ellinghausen & DeShazo
1250 Poydras Street, Suite 2450
New Orleans, Louisiana 70113
504.524.0206 (office)
504.525.6216 (fax)
Six months after a Public Records Request, this email was produced. John Hopper stated on May 23, 2017 that City Park did not own the PGT Beauregard statue.
Other Art on Loan to City Park
The UDC has contacted City Park, City Hall, and the State of Louisiana and asked to be allowed to pick up its art or be informed as to who has a greater claim to the art than the UDC.
No one has responded.
Research is available at numerous sources. NOPCIA never reported its research to the public.
NOCPIA has not responded to numerous Public Record’s Request, which have been filed to ascertained who City Park thinks owns the art.
Sample of documents discovered.
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