Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

Jim Gray
Mayor

Aug. 24, 2017

Hand Deliver

Mark Durbin
President and General Manager
The Lexington Cemetery
833 West Main Street
Lexington, Kentucky 40508

Dear Mr. Durbin,

On August 17, 2017 the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council voted unanimously to approve a
resolution to relocate two statues, the John C. Breckinridge and the John Hunt Morgan statues, from their
current locations at 251 and 215 West Main Street, respectively.

The statues are two of 61 Civil War properties in Kentucky that have been listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. They are also identified as Kentucky Military Heritage Commission sites or
objects.

We must have Commission approval to relocate them. The Commission requires that we include a
proposed new location for the statues as part of our petition to relocate them.

After initial conversations and deliberation, my office, as well as several Councilmembers and many
community leaders, feel The Lexington Cemetery is the most appropriate location for these statues.

Weve come to this conclusion after considering the following: John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt
Morgan are both buried at The Lexington Cemetery. For decades, The Lexington Cemetery has listed the
graves of these men among a dozen notable landmarks on its pamphlet legend.

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200 East Main Street Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 425-2255 www.lexingtonky.gov

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The Lexington Cemetery is a prestigious site, with beautifully landscaped grounds, that respectfully
honors the Civil War soldiers who are buried there. Notably, Fayette Countys two other Military Heritage
Commission designated Civil War monuments are located in The Lexington Cemetery.

The Lexington Cemetery welcomes visitors and students to its grounds. It has long been a place that
supports education.

For these reasons, the Kentucky Military Heritage Commission will likely view The Lexington
Cemetery as an appropriate site for relocation. In fact, it may likely be the only site in Fayette County that will
be received in such favorable light because it is the only site with these attributes. And, out of respect to Mr.
Breckinridge and Mr. Morgan, and their families, our preference is to keep the statues in Fayette County.

In conclusion, time is of the essence. I am to report back to the Urban County Council at its
September 14, 2017 meeting with a recommended relocation site. As such, we are requesting the Cemetery
Board of Directors give us the opportunity to address the board at its earliest convenience. We are available
for your regularly scheduled board meeting on September 11, 2017, or at a special called meeting prior to that
date. In preparation for the meeting, it would be very helpful if your staff could evaluate and share with the
board several possible locations for each of the statues in the Cemetery.

Moving the statues to The Lexington Cemetery is a compromise that will help heal the soul of our
city. It is the one location that generates support from those with opposing views on this issue.

So, I respectfully request, on behalf of our community, that The Lexington Cemetery once again
follow its legacy of service to Lexington citizens, a mission the cemetery has fulfilled since 1849, by helping us
and future generations respect, honor and learn from our history. As noted on your website, The Lexington
Cemetery is a historical landmark that documents the social, political, military and environmental history of
the community.

Sincerely,

Jim Gray
Mayor

cc: The Lexington Cemetery trustees

200 East Main Street Lexington, KY 40507 (859) 425-2255

www.lexingtonky.gov
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