The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to repeal a six-decade old resolution designating U.S. Route 15 in the county as Jefferson Davis National Highway.
The board voted unanimously to repeal a June 1, 1959, decision to commemorate parts of Franklin Street and Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard after the sole president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Orange County residents had raised concerns over the designation. Research by county officials found that state transportation and infrastructure agencies did not recognize the Jefferson Davis National Highway, creating a straightforward opportunity to reverse the older board’s decision.
Ivy Barger, who has lived in Orange County over 20 years, spoke at the board meeting about the need for change.
“Street names, like statues, are symbolic of a community’s values,” She said. “The Jefferson Davis Highway may have reflected Orange County’s values at one time, but we are now growing into a more equitable society. So, let’s make sure that our streets reflect these steps of progress too.”
Hillsborough resident Nan Fulcher spoke to the historical context of the 1959 resolution.
“The designated name was part of a wider effort to promote the values of the Confederacy in a deliberate program of propaganda. This program took shape before the end of the Civil War and disturbingly continues to this day,” She said.
The decision comes after the Confederate monument on the UNC – Chapel Hill campus known as Silent Sam was pulled down by protesters in late August.
The board’s repeal does not resolve questions surrounding the highway’s stone marker, which stands on East Franklin Street across the street from the Peace and Justice Plaza. According to County Attorney John Roberts, the Department of Transportation is unsure if the plaque is privately or publicly owned. The resolution petitions state DOT to work toward identifying the owner and removing the plaque.
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