Monuments bases bricked up, ready for last step

ASHEBORO — Gustavo Ramos  and Luis Gomez were bricking up the Charters of Freedom monuments on Worth Street the week of Aug. 3. It’s the final step before brass enscribed plaques are set in place to represent our nation’s founding documents.

On display will be the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights and Civil Rights. There will also be a smaller donor pedestal.

Once completed, the larger Constitution monument will contain a time capsule to be filled with items that will be removed at some time in the future. 

Ramos, who lives in Gastonia, said he has done the masonry for Charters of Freedom in other cities during the past two years. He said it takes three or four days to lay the approximately 2,000 bricks, some of which must be cut to fit the angled capstones.

Charters of Freedom was founded by Vance and Mary Jo Patterson of Burke County after visiting the National Archives in Washington, DC, in 2011. Seeing the documents signed by the nation’s fathers was an emotional experience which they wanted to share with others who may not have the opportunity to visit Washington.

So the Pattersons decided to bring the documents to the people, in the form of monuments that can be viewed by the public near their homes.

While Charters of Freedom reaches communities across the country, the immediate goal is to have the founding documents in all 100 North Carolina counties during this 250th anniversary of the United States.

Once the brass plaques are installed, plans are to hold a dedication ceremony. The Randolph Hub will be on hand for the occasion.