BENTONVILLE -- A groundbreaking for James H. Berry Park will be held in early March, it was announced Thursday.
The Confederate statue that was removed from the downtown square in September 2020 will be the centerpiece of the new park.
The monument had stood on the square since 1908. It's stored in an undisclosed location to be cleaned and restored, according to a news release from Joey McCutchen, who represents the Arkansas United Daughters of the Confederacy. The group owns the statue.
The monument has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1996. It's the first Confederate monument to be moved and remain on the register, McCutchen said.
The park design phase is nearing completion, and construction will begin soon, according to the release. Designs for the park were unveiled in September 2020.
The park will be adjacent to the Bentonville Cemetery. The Benton County Historical Society owns the park, which will be open to the public.
The monument, which consists of a pedestal and a statue of a bearded Confederate soldier, was on property owned by Benton County on the downtown square. The city of Bentonville maintained the property, including beautification.
One Berry Park feature will be the Benton County Wall of Honor to include the names of Benton County soldiers, Confederate and Union, who died during the Civil War. The park is unique in that the commemorative elements that will be presented use local personal stories to tell the history of this era in the county, the release stated.
"The James H. Berry Park is a collaborative effort to preserve Bentonville's heritage and reinforce historical value within the community, while honoring all Civil War veterans," McCutchen said in the release.
Berry was a Civil War officer, lawyer, Arkansas legislator, speaker of the state House of Representatives and circuit judge for the 4th Judicial District. He was elected Arkansas' 14th governor, then served as a U.S. senator from 1885 to 1907, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.