Welcome to the Vance Memorial in Asheville, North Carolina, a site rich with historical significance and complex narratives. While the monument itself was removed in 2021, the stories it represents continue to echo through the streets of Asheville. Originally erected in the late 19th century, the Vance Monument was a towering granite obelisk dedicated to Zebulon Baird Vance, a Confederate officer, and prominent political leader who served as both a governor of North Carolina and a U.S. senator.
Zebulon Vance was born in 1830 in Buncombe County, not far from where the monument stood in Asheville. He rose to prominence during the American Civil War as a staunch Confederate supporter, and later, during the Reconstruction Era, he became a key figure in North Carolina politics. Vance was known for his oratory skills and his efforts to modernize the Southern economy and reconcile with the North. However, his legacy is complex, as he was also a slave owner, highlighting the multifaceted and often contradictory nature of historical figures.
The monument’s establishment was spearheaded by the Vance Monument Association in 1896, shortly after Vance’s death. The project was primarily funded by George Willis Pack, a philanthropist from New York who had relocated to Asheville. The design, a granite obelisk, was crafted by Richard Sharp Smith, a notable architect best known for his work on the Biltmore Estate. Despite its original intent to honor Vance’s contributions, the monument became a focal point for discussions around race, memory, and history, particularly as it stood in a location central to Asheville’s cultural life.
In the broader historical context, the monument was part of a larger wave of Confederate memorials erected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These monuments often served dual purposes—commemorating Southern leaders while also reinforcing narratives of white supremacy during the Jim Crow era. In recent years, the Vance Monument became a subject of debate, reflecting ongoing conversations about how we remember and interpret our history.
Although the physical structure has been removed, the site remains a point of reflection and dialogue about the past and how it shapes our present. The stories of Zebulon Vance and the monument that bore his name continue to offer lessons on leadership, legacy, and the complexity of historical memory.
