Monument being restored, moved to Florence Veterans Park

A group of Florence-area residents have undertaken a monumental task – relocating the Florence County WWI monument from where it currently resides to the Florence Veterans Park at the Florence Civic Center may only be part of it.

The monument itself – marble, with a bronze plaque – and the history surrounding it, touch on many parts of Florence’s past. Once relocated it will be readily available to be viewed and appreciated by Florence’s future residents and visitors.

“We’re trying to enhance the beauty and significance of the Florence Veterans Park by adding another monument and we’re trying to do it, quite frankly, as cheaply as we can,” said Barry Wingard, a retired colonel spearheading the effort to move the monument. “The American Legion Post No. 1 has agreed to donate this monument that was dedicated to the soldiers of WWI, although it was not called WWI in 1928 at the dedication, to the veterans park.”

And on the cheap is working for the group so far.

Brown Memorials is on board to assist with the deconstruction, reconstruction and limited restoration and as consultants on the actual move.

The South Carolina Army National Guard will provide a crane, a heavy-lift vehicle and the soldiers to get it done.

“In this case the South Carolina Army National Guard has been solicited to provide some of the heavy-lifting capability because this monument altogether weighs more than 10,000 pounds and the heaviest single piece weighs 4,600 pounds,” Wingard said.

That doesn’t even include two stone urns that formerly graced either side of the monument. Wingard said he found pieces of one of the urns on the ground near the monument.

Park officials have given their OK to relocate the monument to the park, Wingard said.

This story was originally published May 24, 2015 at 10:35 PM with the headline "Monument being restored, moved to Florence Veterans Park."