North Augusta in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
The Meriwether Monument
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
1. The Meriwether Monument Marker
In 1914, the S.C. Legislature passed a bill authorizing $400 for a headstone on the grave of Thomas McKie Meriwether. A 1915 amendment authorized placing the monument within the town of North Augusta. Local leaders chose this prominent location as the site for the monument. Private funds supplemented the funds authorized by the S.C. Legislature. The monument was dedicated February 16, 1916.
Inscriptions on the monument reflect attitudes of people during that period. Those words do not represent the attitudes of the people of North Augusta today. We are a community of people of different races and ethnic backgrounds, bonded together by unity and common rights of citizenship. We choose to learn from our past and ensure that North Augusta's future reflects a high standard for all of its citizens. The events and legacy of Hamburg do not define us.
Panels installed and dedicated in 2024.
Erected 2024.
Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Notable Events • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical date for this entry is February 16, 1916.
Location. 33° 29.854′ N, 81° 58.161′ W. Marker is in North Augusta, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is at the intersection of West Forest
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Regionally, this marker and monument is in Greater Augusta and in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Hamburg Massacre (here, next to this marker); History of Hamburg (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Meriwether Monument (a few steps from this marker); North Augusta (within shouting distance of this marker); Lookaway Hall / Walter Mixer Jackson (within shouting distance of this marker); James Urquhart Jackson (within shouting distance of this marker); Hampton Terrace Hotel (approx. 0.3 miles away); North Augusta Trolley Station (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in North Augusta.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
Also see . . . Meriwether Monument. Excerpt:
The Meriwether Monument is a pillar erected in 1916 at John C. Calhoun Park in North Augusta, South Carolina, to commemorate Thomas McKie Meriwether (December 4, 1852 July 8, 1876), the only white man killed in the Hamburg massacre when white supremacist militias attacked African Americans in coordinated political violence, seeking to restore the Democratic Party to power and disenfranchise African American voters.(Submitted on May 30, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)The massacre occurred in 1876 and was part of a violent political campaign at the end of the Reconstruction era. The monument was erected 40 years later during the Jim Crow era. Protests at the monument were organized in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd as part of Black Lives Matter activism.Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 20252. The Meriwether Monument
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
3. The Meriwether Monument
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
4. The Meriwether Monument
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
5. The Meriwether Monument
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 10, 2025
6. The Meriwether Monument
Credits. This page was last revised on June 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 185 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 30, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
