National Park Service plans to restore Confederate Albert Pike statue

The National Park Service announced Monday that it will be restoring and reinstating a statue of Confederate General Albert Pike. 

“The National Park Service announced today that it will restore and reinstall the bronze statue of Albert Pike, which was toppled and vandalized during riots in June 2020,” the Monday announcement from the National Park Service read. 

“The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law as well as recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and re-instate pre-existing statues,” it added. 

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On June 19, 2020, also known as Juneteenth, the day that recognizes the end of slavery in the United States, protesters toppled the statue of Pike and set it on fire. 

Pike, who was a Confederate general in the Civil War, also served as an associate justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The vandalization occurred during the anti-racism riots that erupted across the country after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

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The announcement pointed to President Donald Trump’s executive orders on “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” and “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”

The orders call for the protection of American monuments, preservation of American history and heritage, and combating the “revisionist movement.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House official Lindsey Halligan said, “Thank you to the National Park Service for announcing the restoration of the Albert Pike statute after it was unlawfully toppled and vandalized.”

Halligan added, “Erected in 1901 and funded entirely by private Masonic organizations, the statute stood for over a century as a tribute to Pike’s contributions as a scholar and Masonic leader. Such action aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order 14253, which calls for reinstating monuments removed under ideological pressure. It’s encouraging to see our National Park Service stand up for historical preservation, due process, and the rule of law.”