ADRIAN — A private campaign to restore the Civil War memorial in Adrian’s Monument Park has city commissioners saying they appreciate the group’s efforts, but are hesitiant about its main fundraising mechanism — the sale of bricks that would be inscribed with donors’ names and placed in the park.

At the June 2 city commission meeting, several commissioners said the only names in the park should be those of people who gave their lives in military service.

Commissioner Kelly Castleberry, a Navy veteran, said the park is “a sacred space to honor the fallen.”

“Adding anything other than the names of the fallen is offensive,” Castleberry said. “This is not about politics or profit; this is about preserving dignity. Those honored in this park did not serve to advertise business, names of donors, or other things etched beside their legacies. They served to uphold the dignity of the free world. Let us continue to honor them with legacy rather than logos, businesses or names. I cannot imagine a business’ name, a person’s name, a group’s name, cheaply placed next to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

KZ Bolton, a member of the fundraising committee, said that when fundraising started in 2017, the group had city officials’ verbal permission to proceed.

She also described the need for the restoration.

“The monument has weathered over the years,” she said. “The sandstone has degraded and in some places broke. The monument is in dire need of cleaning and repair, and we need to maintain the historical significance of the oldest monument within our park.”

Bolton said that a recent assessment by Ken Thompson of Flatlanders Sculpture Supply in Blissfield showed that the restoration would cost about $15,000. 

The fundraising campaign started in 2017, with the sale of personalized bricks as its main fundraising mechanism. A 2019 story in The Daily Telegram stated that the committee had a goal of selling 1,000 bricks, which would be available in three different sizes and three different colors, and could have logos inscribed on them.

Bolton said committee members met with city officials eight years ago and thought the project was approved, and that they proceeded with selling bricks on that assumption.

“The bricks have been sold and donations accepted toward the restoration of the monument,” she said.

Bolton said she doesn’t see the bricks as diminishing the significance of of the monuments in the park. She said there are other communities, such as Clinton and Tipton, that have bricks inscribed with donor names, in their monument areas.

“It is something that is common, and it’s not derogatory or anything like that,” she said. “It’s to honor the project and the veterans that it goes towards.”

But commissioners generally agreed with Castleberry that they don’t feel the location is appropriate.

“If that park had a different significance, it would be a different story, but that park stands for the fallen,” said Mayor Angela Sword Heath. “It doesn’t feel right, it just really doesn’t, to have names of individual donors, businesses, etcetera.”

Commissioners also asked Bolton why the group took so long to come back to the city about the project. Commissioner Mary Roberts said that parks and recreation director Jeremiah Davies’ initial attempts to contact the group were unsuccessful.

“Why has it taken you eight years to come back to us?” Roberts asked.

“COVID struck,” Bolton responded.

“COVID was a couple of years,” Roberts said.

“That stopped a lot of the momentum,” Bolton said, “and we tried to get some momentum started after that, and then family situations came up, and surgeries and accidents and that type of thing.”

Roberts asked Bolton to confirm that “you continued to raise funds over these last eight years without coming back to talk to the city, even when Mr. Davies tried to reach out to you a couple of times.”

“That is correct and I’m sorry about that,” Bolton said.

Roberts said that because there was no formal approval from the city commission back in 2017, the project is essentially at the beginning of the approval process. 

Commissioner Bob Behnke asked if donors could be recognized in another location.

“I know that goes against the original contract that you had, but I’m trying to find middle ground,” he said.

Castleberry asked when the committee last communicated with people who had purchased bricks. Bolton said it was probably in 2023.

“So in two years you haven’t spoken to anyone that’s bought a brick?” Castleberry asked.

“Correct,” Bolton said.

“Can we ask them if they would be willing to negotiate — rather than bricks, do something different?” Castleberry asked.

“That would be a question that I would ask them,” Bolton replied.

Marilyn Smith of Adrian, who purchased a brick that would have her parents’ names on it, spoke in support of placing bricks in the park. She described her mother’s love for Adrian and her father’s pride in his military service.

Glenn Preston of Sand Creek said that “placing bricks with individual names, regardless of intent, fundamentally changes the purpose of this space. It risks turning a place of collective honor into a patchwork of personal recognition, and I believe that would dilute its meaning. This park is not about donors, or living veterans like myself. It is about those who never came home.”

Davies asked commissioners for their approval to meet with Bolton and the committee about alternatives, and they agreed.

Monument Park is at 436 E. Maumee St.