Two companies in Virginia are suing to prevent the city of Fredericksburg from removing a slave auction block because they fear the move will hurt business.
The weathered, 176-year-old stone has been a point of controversy in the city of about 25,000. It sits in the historic part of Fredericksburg. The lawsuit was filed by the owner of the commercial building across the street from it and the owner of Olde Towne Butcher Table restaurant, according to the Free Lance-Star.
The Fredericksburg City Council voted last month 6-1 to remove the antebellum artifact. Fredericksburg attorney Joseph Drennan said his clients decided to file the lawsuit because no one had contacted them before the city council voted to approve a certificate of appropriateness.
“It’s basically a lawsuit to stop a legally problematical decision by the city council,” he said. “City council didn’t have the power to do what it did.”
The businesses argue that there will be a decline in foot traffic and tourist visits to that part of town if the stone is removed. The decline would result in a loss of business for the companies, they say.
Mayor Mary Greenlaw said the city’s attorney had been directed to “vigorously defend” the removal of the slave block.
The Fredericksburg branch of the NAACP said that it was “quite disturbed” by the lawsuit seeking to keep the stone in the open instead of moving it to a museum. Membership voted to pass a resolution that encourages members to refrain from doing business with the companies.
