You Paid For It: Calhoun statue removal

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The statue may be gone, but the controversy and the cost is not.

Construction crews removed the statue of John C. Calhoun from downtown Charleston's Marion Square two days ago.

It took 17 hours and days of protests by people who supported the statue's removal.

Other folks protested the monumental change.

A City of Charleston spokesperson tells us removing the John C. Calhoun statue, column, plaques and lettering cost $136,637.

We also found out that private donors came forward to give $100,000 toward those costs, bringing the total taxpayer impact to $36,637.

The city says it contracted Turner Construction for the removal.

Trucks on site covered up names and logos of companies involved the night and day of the removal.

Calhoun was the seventh vice president of the United States. His support of slavery has prompted calls for the statue’s removal for years.

Earlier this month, the city closed Marion square after the calhoun statue was vandalized with spray paint, posters and eggs.

Mayor Tecklenburg decided removing the statue would help toward racial justice and unity in Charleston. The rest of City Council unanimously agreed in a vote this week.

There are still outstanding costs: the pedastal and base remain.

In the next week, the city plans to negotiate the contract to remove those, too.

We’ve asked the city who the private donors were who gave that $100,000 and are waiting on a response.

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