Santa Fe Plaza Obelisk: Toppling, Court Order, and Rebuild

The Santa Fe Plaza obelisk, a 33-foot Civil War-era monument known as the Soldiers’ Monument, was pulled down by protesters on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in October 2020. A state district judge ordered the city to restore it in December 2024, and Santa Fe is now choosing among three paths: rebuild it on the Plaza, replace it with something new, or move it elsewhere.

What the Monument Was

The obelisk was funded by New Mexico’s Territorial Legislature in the 1860s and placed on the Santa Fe Plaza, then federal land. Three sides of its base honored Union soldiers who fought Confederate forces in New Mexico, including at the Battle of Glorieta Pass. The fourth plaque read: “To the heroes who have fallen in the various battles with savage Indians in the Territory of New Mexico.”¹

That word, “savage,” drove most of the modern controversy. In 1973, the Santa Fe City Council voted unanimously to remove the obelisk after Governor Bruce King called the inscription offensive, then reversed course when told removal could jeopardize federal funding tied to the Plaza’s status as a National Historic Landmark.² The next year, someone climbed the monument in broad daylight and chiseled “savage” off the plaque. The All Indian Pueblo Council later asked that the word never be restored.¹

The Plaza itself is a National Historic Landmark designated in 1960, listed on the National Register for its role as the terminus of the Santa Fe Trail and the Camino Real. Whether the obelisk is integral to that protected status or incidental to it would later become the central legal question.³

How It Came Down in October 2020

In June 2020, during the summer of nationwide protests over racial justice and public monuments, Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber called for the obelisk’s removal, describing it as a matter of “moral truth” that was “long overdue.”² A city contractor’s attempt to remove the obelisk reportedly failed, and the mayor had it boarded up instead.⁴

On October 12, 2020, after a three-day occupation of the Plaza, protesters used ropes and chains to pull the obelisk down in sections, shattering it. Two protesters chained themselves to the base.⁵ Police did not intervene. Deputy Chief Matthew Champlin later said officers were significantly outnumbered and the call was made to protect their safety.⁶ Police Chief Andrew Padilla said officers prioritized “preservation of life over property.” The demonstration ended peacefully about 20 minutes after the obelisk came down.

Mayor Webber condemned the destruction as “violence and damage to a historical monument.” Police arrested two people on site and identified eight total suspects.⁵

Indigenous organizers described the obelisk as a stand-in for broader harms. Porter Swentzell, a professor of Indigenous liberal studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts, called the 1868 placement a “calculated effort” to reshape the Plaza into an American square, an “architecture of violence.” Heidi Brandow, who is Diné and Native Hawaiian, said roughly 80 percent of Santa Fe’s 65 monuments honor colonizers while only four are dedicated to Native people and culture.⁷

What Happened to the People Who Toppled It

First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies did not pursue standard prosecution. Instead she authorized a pre-prosecution diversion program, said to be the first use of that approach for this type of case in New Mexico. Facilitated by Common Ground Mediation Services, the program involved closed-door listening sessions between people who felt harmed by the toppling and people who considered the monument itself harmful.⁸

The eight defendants completed more than 320 hours of community service combined, working with food banks, shelters, and animal rescue groups. They issued a collective apology acknowledging that the monument should have been removed through community involvement rather than destruction. Charges were dismissed on completion of the program. Carmack-Altwies later acknowledged criticism of the process’s transparency, saying she had hoped for “more active reconciliation.”⁹

The Lawsuit and the Order to Restore It

Union Protectiva de Santa Fe, a Hispanic fraternal organization, sued Mayor Webber and the city, arguing that Santa Fe had violated the New Mexico Prehistoric and Historic Sites Preservation Act. Its attorney, Kenneth Stalter, contended that the mayor’s June 2020 emergency order, the wooden box placed over the monument’s base, a new sign, and the removal of a 1973 contextual plaque amounted to “projects” that adversely affected the Plaza’s historic character without required planning or approval.¹⁰

The city, represented by attorney Stanley Harris, argued no “program or project” had been undertaken because the city council had never made a final decision. Expert witness Kimberly Parker, an architectural historian, testified that although the National Register nomination form mentions the obelisk in a physical description, the obelisk does not appear in the section describing the Plaza’s historical significance.¹¹

On December 20, 2024, First Judicial District Court Judge Matthew Wilson ruled for Union Protectiva. He found the Soldiers’ Monument to be “an inextricably interconnected component of both the Plaza and the District” and therefore protected under the Act. He held that the city had violated the Act by spending public funds on the box, sign, and shrubbery without proper approval.¹²

The order set two deadlines:

Within 30 days, the city had to remove the wooden box, the sign, and any shrubbery or obstructions around the monument.
Within 180 days, the city had to restore the monument to its pre-2020 condition or “otherwise comply with preservation laws to ensure proper maintenance.”¹²

On January 15, 2025, the city council and Mayor Webber decided not to appeal. “I believe we’d be better served to find solutions that will work, rather than continued litigation,” Webber said.¹³ City crews finished removing the wooden box in January 2025, meeting the 30-day deadline.¹⁴

Who Actually Owns the Obelisk

Ownership has shadowed every decision. The obelisk was funded by the Territorial Legislature before statehood, and a report by architectural historian John Murphey found evidence that the state of New Mexico, not the city, is the true owner.¹⁵ The Cultural Landscape Report for the Plaza likewise describes the city as owner of the Plaza park and the state as owner of the Soldiers’ Monument.³ The state has not asserted its ownership, leaving the city to manage the situation.

Any relocation to the Santa Fe National Cemetery, one option under active consideration, would require coordination with both state officials and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.¹⁶

Rebuild, Replace, or Relocate

The city’s three long-term options are to rebuild the obelisk on the Plaza, replace it with something new, or move it elsewhere.¹⁷

In February 2025, the city council voted unanimously to spend $100,000 on a feasibility study.¹⁸ CSR Architects completed the study by early 2026. It priced rebuilding at up to $880,000, with options ranging from using only historical material, to a mix of old and new, to entirely new material. Relocation was estimated at more than $1.1 million.¹⁹

Michael Garcia took office as Santa Fe’s mayor in late 2025. On December 30, 2025, he said he wanted to “restore the Civil War memorial on the Plaza” and begin “the process of healing and addressing the historic trauma within our community.”²⁰ He has also said he is open to any of the options: “I could see all of the options working.”¹⁹

Fragments on Loan to the History Museum

On March 11, 2026, the city council voted 7-1 to temporarily loan the obelisk’s broken fragments to the New Mexico History Museum for public display. The pieces had been stored at the Santa Fe Regional Airport since 2020. The loan carries a cost of up to $25,000.²¹

Councilor Pilar Faulkner, a co-sponsor, said the display would provide “transparency that has not been provided before.”²² Councilor Jamie Cassutt cast the lone dissenting vote, objecting to the cost and arguing officials should focus on a permanent solution.²¹

Any final decision on the obelisk’s permanent future has to be made in coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office.²³ No timeline has been set.

1
City of Santa Fe. Establishing Next Steps, the Soldiers Monument Obelisk (Resolution)
2
Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe Mayor Calls for Removal of Controversial Monuments
3
New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. Santa Fe Plaza Cultural Landscape Report
4
KUNM. Activists Topple Santa Fe Obelisk on Indigenous Peoples Day
5
ABC News. Santa Fe Obelisk Toppled in Indigenous Peoples Day Protest
6
Santa Fe New Mexican. Festering Wound: Five Years After Santa Fe Plaza Obelisk Fell
7
Searchlight New Mexico. Rest in Pieces
8
Water Protector Legal Collective. Santa Fe Obelisk Defendants Charges Dropped After Completing Restorative Justice Program
9
SFReporter. Four Restored
10
Source New Mexico. Judge Hears Closing Arguments in Obelisk Trial
11
Source New Mexico. Soldiers Monument Not Significant to Santa Fe Plaza, History Expert Testifies
12
KOB. Judge Orders City of Santa Fe to Restore Soldiers Monument
13
SFReporter. Parting the Plywood
14
KOB. City of Santa Fe Begins Removing Box Around Soldiers Monument
15
Santa Fe New Mexican. New Report on History of Santa Fe Plaza Obelisk Finds Century of Conflict
16
City of Santa Fe. Resolution No. 2024-43
17
KOB. Santa Fe City Council to Vote on Next Step for Controversial Obelisk
18
KRQE. Santa Fe City Council Approves Study to Look Into Potentially Moving Soldiers Monument
19
KRQE. Santa Fe’s Mayor Hopes to Reach Decision Soon on Obelisk
20
Santa Fe New Mexican. Timeline: Soldiers Monument
21
Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe City Council Votes to Temporarily Display Soldiers Monument at History Museum
22
KRQE. Santa Fe to Temporarily Move Obelisk Remnants to New Mexico History Museum
23
KOAT. Santa Fe City Council to Discuss Future of Toppled Soldiers Monument