DeKalb County Confederate Monument

The DeKalb County Confederate Monument is a granite obelisk that stood at the Historic Courthouse in Decatur with inscriptions carved on all four sides. The structure measured roughly 30 feet (9 meters) tall and dominated the plaza for over a century.

The obelisk was initiated by the DeKalb Confederate Memorial Association in 1907 and erected in 1908, with the local community providing funding for the project. The monument was later relocated twice: in 1937 for road expansion and again in the 1970s to accommodate the construction of the Decatur MARTA transit line.

The monument remained in place for 112 years until its removal in 2020, following increased social awareness and legal actions by Decatur residents.

The site is located at the Historic Courthouse, which is easily walkable and centrally positioned in Decatur. The area offers parking and public transit access, making a visit convenient at any time of day.

When first being lifted into place, the obelisk split into two pieces as the hoisting ropes snapped during the 1908 installation process. This damage was repaired, but the incident remained a striking moment in the monument's construction history.