October 1, 2023

To our good friends in the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization,

I am deeply saddened to report to you the current status of the three Baltimore Confederate Monuments, subject to an historic preservation easement, which the Maryland Historical Trust had promised to protect and preserve in perpetuity. The bronze statuary was removed from the pedestal and plinths, in clear violation of the easement, on August 16, 2017.

Over the course of the past six years, despite repeated pleas from our organization and other interested parties, the Maryland Historical Trust has taken no meaningful action to preserve the monuments, protect them against continuing vandalism or ensure public accessibility. The priceless bronze statuary is still covered in paint from an incident in 2019, the plinths and pedestals have been significantly damaged and, in October of 2022 while allegedly protected in a secured Baltimore City storage facility, appendages of two of the priceless bronzes were sawn off.

Since inception, both the Maryland Historical Trust and Baltimore City have claimed to be seeking a site within Maryland to relocate the monuments, under terms similar to the existing easement. An organization in St. Mary’s County had come forward offering a relocation site within its seven-acre historical park that could fulfill the requisite terms of the easement and was scheduled to make a presentation at the Maryland Historical Trust next regularly scheduled Trustee meeting on October 19th.

However, inexplicably on September 25th, the Trust announced a “Special Meeting” to be held within seventy-two hours on September 28th, to discuss a loan of the statuary to a Los Angeles Art Exhibit entitled “Monuments”, sponsored by LAXART, which will feature toppled and damaged Confederate Monuments from across the country. Several officers of our organization attended the meeting and offered public comments.

The loan agreement, which was discussed in detail, made no mention of the Maryland Historical Trust’s deed of easement, of its beneficial interest, or of any protections to ensure that the statuary ever returns to Maryland. Yet, despite the unremedied ongoing breach of Baltimore City and the lack of any acknowledgment or protections of the State’s interest, the Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust voted in favor of the loan agreement and the expedited shipment in October of the significantly damaged and paint splattered bronzes to Los Angeles. How such a decision complies with the fiduciary obligations of the Trustees, to “acquire, preserve, and maintain historic, aesthetic, cultural properties, buildings, fixtures and furnishings and appurtenances pertaining in any way to the Province and State of Maryland from earliest times, to encourage others to do so, and promote interest in and study of such matters” is incomprehensible.

We will continue to explore all options in the hopes of seeing the Confederate Monuments protected, preserved, and restored as dictated by the terms of the easement.

Thank you for your continuing interest and concern, and particularly CHCO’s adoption and oversight of the Maryland Division SCV’s Confederate grave sites and Monument within Rose Hill Cemetery.

Very truly,

Terry M. Klima,
Division Commander