Wander down the crossroads of 9th and Church streets in Mena, Arkansas, and you'll stumble upon the Ebenezer Monument. Erected in 1935, this structure stands about 12 feet high. It is a tapered square structure of fieldstone and cement, with concrete panels on each side and a pyramidal concrete cap. The monument was placed as part of a campaign to galvanize local opposition to the controversial Commonwealth College, which was accused of teaching Communism and other evils. Local opposition contributed to the school's eventual closure in 1940.
The monument's name is derived from a Bible verse inscribed on one of its panels: Ebenezer of First Baptist Church, "Hitherto Hath The Lord Helped Us" from I Samuel 7:12. The monument contains a time capsule which is to be opened every 50 years. In 1986, the original time capsule was opened and its contents were replaced by new materials.
The Ebenezer Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. It remains a significant part of the landscape at the corner of 9th and Church Streets, adjacent to the First Baptist Church.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Friendly Jane
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