The Hillsborough Historic District Commission could decide Wednesday if the words “Confederate Memorial” should come down off 201 North Churton Street.

It’s a topic that’s been hotly debated in recent months, but Mayor Tom Stevens says the Commission’s discussion will likely focus on the aesthetics of the building more than the idea of heritage.

“I do think there will be a fair number of folks who will want to see how that turns out, but in terms of lots of discussion about the words “Confederate Memorial” and what that means to heritage, that’s not gong to be appropriate the what the Historic District Commission is going to be looking at,” says Stevens.

The building on the corner of Churton and West Tryon was constructed in 1934 by the Daughters of the Confederacy to serve as a whites-only library. It now houses the Orange County Historical Museum. Museum staffers in June asked town officials to take down the lettering, saying it made some visitors uncomfortable.

That request sparked outrage from those who said it was an attempt to erase Southern history. Five hundred people gathered last month in front of the courthouse for what they called an “educational rally about Confederate heritage.”

Mayor Tom Stevens says town leaders want to replace the lettering with a sign commemorating the 1778 Constitutional Convention that took place on that spot.

“We want to talk about the history of that particular corner, so what the Historic District Commission will be looking at is not about the content of the sign,” says Stevens. “It really doesn’t matter if it says ‘Confederate Memorial” or what it says. Are the materials appropriate? Is the signage appropriate?”

The Historic District Commission meets at 7 o’clock in the Hillsborough Town Barn. You can read the full agenda here.

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