In an effort to have a more “fair and balanced” representation of both sides in the Civil War (the Union and the Confederacy), the Hopkins County Union Statue Committee is raising funds to erect a 7-foot-tall (head-to-toe) bronze Union soldier statue. The bayonet affixed on the end of the soldier’s rifle will add approximately an additional 1-foot to the height of the statue, making the overall height of the statue approximately 8-feet tall. The statue will be very detailed and mounted on an 8-foot-tall black granite base pedestal, making it 16-feet overall in height. The Union Statue will be erected on the northwest lawn of the Old Courthouse in downtown Madisonville, Kentucky. A Confederate monument currently sits on the southwest lawn of the Old Courthouse. During the Civil War, Kentucky was a border state, therefore, sentiments were divided, and “officially” the state considered itself neutral. Needless to say, Kentuckians fought on both sides during the War Between the States.

According to history, in 1907, the Hopkins County Fiscal Court magistrates approved $300 for the erection of a Confederate monument in the courthouse yard. In their willingness to be fair and balanced, they also set aside $300 for the erection of a Federal (Union) monument in the same square on the opposite corner from the Confederate memorial, but it was never built. Hopkins Countians (both White and Black troops), served and fought on both sides during the Civil War.

117 years later, it is time to make things right, so that both sides will be properly represented as initially intended. To our knowledge, Hopkins County will be the first and only county in Kentucky to have both a Union and Confederate monument on the courthouse lawn, where both sides of the true Civil War history are represented. Our goal and objective is to do what is right, because it is the right thing to do. In order to do that, we need to raise the funds needed which is $120,000 to fully fund the entire community project. This amount will cover the 7-foot statue, 8-foot base, shipping and installation.

Donors contributing $10,000 or more will be listed on a special plaque on the monument. The Historical Society of Hopkins County is serving as our nonprofit fiduciary, and all funds raised for the statue project will be disbursed through the society.