The statue of John C. Calhoun was removed from Marion Square four years ago. Where is he now?

Sophie Brams and Hanna Powers

3 minutes ago

CHARLESTON, SC (WCBD) – Four years after the statue of John C. Calhoun was torn down in downtown Charleston, its fate is still in limbo.

In June 2020, the Charleston City Council voted unanimously to remove the statue that had towered over Marion Square for more than 120 years.

It came in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, which sparked a renewed nationwide call to remove symbols of the Confederacy.

At the time, then-Mayor John Tecklenburg said that while the city recognized Calhoun’s role as a statesman — he served as the seventh vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832 — his fervent defense of slavery could not be ignored.

Those who opposed the removal said removing the monument would erase Charleston’s history.

Crews faced several mechanical and structural setbacks while attempting to bring down the statue, but it was finally removed from the pedestal on June 24, 2020.

The statue was taken to an undisclosed warehouse in the city, where it remains today while leaders search for a permanent home.

It was originally removed with the understanding that it would be placed safely in a museum or educational center, but several educational institutions and museums refused placement.

In December 2021, the Charleston Historical Commission voted to send the statue to be displayed as part of an exhibit in a museum in California. But that plan never materialized.

A plan to house it in the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia also died.

Several lawsuits were filed against the city over the removal, including one that claimed it violated the Heritage Act, but these were later dropped or dismissed.

City officials told News 2 Monday that several other plans have fallen through recently, adding that they are still trying to determine what should be done with the former city landmark.

The monument is 115 feet tall and was erected on June 27, 1896.