A newly formed group of Louisville residents wants to prevent what happened to the John B. Castleman statue from happening to other statues and public art around the city.

The "Friends of Louisville Public Art" group will seek to protect "civic artwork from vandalism and extremists who seek to distort and misrepresent the history of these monuments," according to a news release.

The group announced its formation Thursday as roughly 20 members stood by the Castleman statue in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood.

Steve Wiser, a spokesman for Friends of Louisville Public Art, said the group will file an appeal by next week in Jefferson Circuit Court over the Louisville landmarks commission's decision to allow the relocation of the statue.

"Yes, (Castleman) did serve in the Confederacy, which was a bad thing. He only did that for two and a half years. I don't want to downplay that," Wiser said. "But for the remainder of his 53 years, he contributed to the civic betterment of all Louisville residents, and we want that time period to also be considered in this situation."

Background:Louisville can move Castleman statue from Cherokee Triangle

The group said its specific goals are to promote "correct historical data for public art," assist in the restoration of public art and provide input into future public art decisions.

But its main purpose clearly revolves around the Castleman statue.

Earlier this month, Louisville's landmarks commission voted to side with Mayor Greg Fischer's administration and allow the city to relocate the 15-foot bronze statue.

City officials said they had reached an agreement in principle with Cave Hill Cemetery to relocate the monument to the cemetery where Castleman is buried.

Constructed in 1913, the statue has drawn controversy — and attracted vandals — related to Castleman's time in the Confederate army serving under John Hunt Morgan, the notorious leader of Morgan's Raiders.

Supporters, including the new Friends of Louisville Public Art group, have pointed out how Castleman eventually became a brigadier general in the U.S. Army after he was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson.

He also helped create Cherokee Park and several other prominent parks in Louisville.

Opponents have said Castleman supported the racial segregation of those same parks.

In a 1916 Courier Journal article, Castleman wrote that African American residents using the city's parks "are citizens" deserving of their own "recreation grounds."

“The same right that induces our liberal provision for their separate education should impel us to provide for them separate recreation grounds," Castleman wrote.

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Despite Castleman's stated desire to have segregated parks, Friends of Louisville Public Art argued that Louisville's parks remained integrated during Castleman's lifetime.

The group also believes Castleman helped African Americans during his life.

"Castleman saved African American lives from lynching in Louisville," the group said in a statement. "... He risked his and his soldiers' lives to protect African Americans during this racist period in American history."

Critics have said statues of Confederate symbols are unwelcome in Louisville and do not represent what the city looks like today.

"My threshold question was whether the Castleman statue would be appropriate in a predominately African American neighborhood," Fischer tweeted in August, when he announced the city's intent to move the statue. "The answer obviously is NO. It would be viewed as disrespectful of a historic and painful past."

Wiser and his group pointed out Castleman is not depicted in a Confederate uniform on the statue but is wearing equestrian clothes and on top of his prized horse, Caroline.

Castleman helped found the American Saddlebred Horse Association in 1891.

Wiser said several members of the horse association are part of Friends of Louisville Public Art.

Wiser added that his group supports the removal of sculptures that "represent hate and violence," such as the George Prentice statue that was removed from its spot behind the Louisville Free Public Library on York Street in December.

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Prentice, founder and editor of the Louisville Journal in the mid-1800s, was known for writing anti-immigration and anti-Catholic editorials and was blamed for helping ignite a deadly attack on German and Irish immigrants in 1855.

Friends of Louisville Public Art said Castleman and "virtually all the rest of the city's public art" — including the Hogan's Fountain piece by Enid Yandel in Cherokee Park and the King Louis XVI statue at Sixth and Jefferson streets — "(do) not symbolize such heinous parts of our history."

Wiser said the group is "prepared to continue this battle" for any other statues in Louisville that may be removed or relocated in the future.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Fischer's office said the decision to relocate the Castleman statue "is based on an extensive public process with multiple public meetings, opportunities for community input, and the Advisory Committee’s report with guiding principles and criteria."

Friends of Louisville Public Art is offering a $1,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of vandals who have "desecrated" the Castleman statue.

Castleman's statue has been vandalized five times since 2017, with the most recent case happening hours the landmarks commission vote to relocate the statue.

No arrests have been made in any incident.

The group would also like the Louisville Metro Police Department to release footage from a nearby security camera that captures past acts of vandalism.

Friends of Louisville Public Art is seeking financial contributions to "assist in protecting these monuments."

Funds will be used to help support the group's appeal of the city's decision to relocate the Castleman statue and also for restoration and "proper protection" of the statue.

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Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.