View complete article and references at Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina at: https://docsouth.unc.edu/commland/monument/360

Description: This statue represents in bronze the spirit and commitment of Revolutionary statesman Hezekiah Alexander. Sitting atop a low masonry stone base, Alexander is depicted standing with his feet planted squarely on the ground beneath him, displaying an energy from within, and with a thoughtful but resolute gaze. In his hands he holds a book, reflecting his commitment to his church, the education of ministers, and to public education. The statue also symbolically honors all North Carolina patriots who supported the cause of independence.

Dedication date: 10/21/2001

Creator: David Dowdy, Sculptor

Materials & Techniques: Bronze statue, stone masonry base

Subject notes: The statue represents the many qualities and accomplishments of the Scots-Irish Alexander in his role as a patriot and provincial statesman. Born in Cecil County, Maryland in 1722 or 1728, he eventually brought his family to the Catawba River area after living on the frontier in Pennsylvania until the French and Indian War. Originally a blacksmith, he rose to prominence in Mecklenburg County both as an elder in the Presbyterian Church and following appointment as a county magistrate by Governor Tryon. Committed to education, he was instrumental in the founding of Queens College, and during the state constitutional congress at the Halifax Convention of 1776, he, along with Waightstill Avery, pushed for provision for a system of public education in the state constitution. A year later in 1777, the state General Assembly passed a bill to create Liberty Hall which was located in Charlotte.

Supporting the cause of liberty for the American colonists, he is believed to have been a participant in the Mecklenburg Resolves and a signer of the Mecklenburg Declaration. He oversaw the administration and support of the patriot militia and was a representative at the state constitutional convention at Halifax in 1776. The Alexander home is believed to be the oldest residence in Mecklenburg County.

David Dowdy is a North Carolina sculptor.

Location: The statue is located on the grounds of the Hezekiah Alexander home at the Charlotte Museum of History on Shamrock Drive.

Landscape: The statue sits amongst ferns and other plantings next to a walkway at the historic site. The area is wooded with many mature shade trees.

City: Charlotte

County: Mecklenburg

Subjects: Colonial History,Historic Civic Figures,Historic Political Figures,Revolutionary War