Documenting the American South

Monument Name

Police Tribute Statue, Lexington

Type

Statue

Subjects

First Responders

Creator

Chip Holton, Lexington, NC, Sculptor

City

Lexington

County

Davidson

Description

The police tribute statue represents a uniformed officer holding a young girl's right hand. The officer’s attire includes his gun and handcuffs and he is looking down at the girl. The girl is wearing a dress, looking up at officer and holding a rag doll in her proper left hand. The sculptor’s daughter was used as the model for the little girl and a Lexington police officer was the policeman model. The statue is life-size and stands on a brick and concrete base surrounded by an iron fence and shrubbery. The side facing N. Main Street holds a dedication and sculptor plaque attached to a lectern shaped brick protrusion. The side facing W. 2nd Street has individual lettering that reads POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Images: Close-up view | Far-off view | Plaques

Inscription

Dedication plaque: THE LEXINGTON APPEARANCE COMMISSION / AND / THE CITIZENS OF LEXINGTON / DEDICATE THIS TRIBUTE AS / A MEMORIAL TO / THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE, / IN HONOR OF / THOSE WHO NOW SERVE, / AND A CHALLENGE TO / THOSE WHO WILL FOLLOW. / SPRING 2000

Sculptor plaque: “CHIP” FRANK P. HOLTON, III

Dedication Date

October 8, 2000

Decade

2000s

Geographic Coordinates

35.825130 , -80.252290 View in Geobrowse

Supporting Sources

Goswick, Lynn. “Commission Unveils Police Tribute Statue,” The Dispatch (Lexington, NC), October 9, 2000, (accessed April 28, 2017) Link

Public Site

Yes

Materials & Techniques

Bronze

Sponsors

The Lexington Appearance Commission and Citizens of Lexington

Monument Cost

$50,000

Monument Dedication and Unveiling

Michael Bradley, chairman of the appearance commission, Mayor Richard Thomas, police Chief Jim Barber and artist Chip Holton untied the strings that allowed the white cloth to drop from the sculpture. “From now on, our children will not have to look far for their heroes. The statue will take care of that," Barber said. Audience member Betty Kepley whose husband is a retired Lexington police officer and whose son is a current police officer said, “It’s a turn in the right direction, giving some respect to the officers. We don’t always see respect for law enforcement.”

Location

The statue stands to the side of the Lexington Police Department headquarters, 106 N. Main St. at the intersection with W. 2nd Street, in Lexington, NC.

Landscape

The statue is surrounded by an iron fence and shrubbery.