Jefferson Davis Monument

The Jefferson Davis Monument was a bronze sculpture mounted on a granite pedestal at the intersection of Canal Street and Jefferson Davis Parkway. The figure stood approximately 26 feet (8 meters) tall and was removed from the site in 2017.

The monument was unveiled in 1911 after an extended fundraising campaign by the Jefferson Davis Memorial Association. The sculpture stood for more than a century before being taken down in 2017 as public discussions about Confederate monuments intensified.

The monument became a focal point for conversations about whose stories deserve space in the city. Its removal reflected changing views on how communities choose to remember their past.

The monument once stood at a central location where Canal Street meets Jefferson Davis Parkway, making it easy to reach by foot or car. Visitors can still walk through the area to see the former site, though the sculpture itself is no longer present.

The sculptor Edward Virginius Valentine designed the work to show the figure as a statesman speaking to an audience with a composed bearing. Valentine was renowned for creating public monuments across the American South during that era.

Location: New Orleans

Inception: February 22, 1911

Creator: Edward Virginius Valentine

GPS coordinates: 29.96985,-90.09427

Latest update: December 11, 2025 11:02