The Confederate flag that was prominently displayed along Interstate 85 in Spartanburg County has been ordered to no longer be flown, according to a ruling by Judge Mark Hayes.
On Jan. 29, Hayes dismissed an appeal by Sons of Confederate Veterans Adam Washington Ballenger Camp #68 against a decision by the Spartanburg Planning and Development Department that said the 120-foot-long flagpole violated county code.
The flag is located on Teaberry Road, near Interstate 85.
On the morning of April 15, 2024, a Confederate flag was still flying near Exit 78 on Interstate 85 (Chesney Exit on Highway 221 in Spartanburg County).
According to the county, because the lot is vacant and has no primary use, such as residential or commercial, the flagpole’s “accessory” use does not comply with land use rules.
In 2023, the Spartanburg County Zoning Board of Appeals ruled in favor of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, overturning the county’s decision.
The matter then went to Circuit Civil Court, where the county sought to overturn the Zoning Board of Appeals decision.
The Confederate Flag’s Meaning and Controversial Role in South Carolina’s Modern History
The Confederate flag has long been a controversial political symbol in South Carolina. Critics pointed to its ties to white supremacist groups and the South’s history of slavery. Defenders of the flag describe it as a symbol of regional pride and respect for ancestors.
While the flag’s display along Interstate 85 — a place where more than 80,000 people pass by it on an average day — has sparked controversy, the flag has flown for years in a more visible location: the South Carolina State Capitol.
In 1961, the Confederate flag was placed atop the state Capitol to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Civil War.
It was the Civil Rights Era, and Southern states were resisting efforts to gain equality for black citizens. For many, the flag became a symbol of this resistance.
More: The Confederate flag debate has its own psychology
South Carolina flew the Confederate flag above the state Capitol until a compromise in 2000 that placed a smaller version of the Confederate flag on the Confederate Soldiers Memorial in front of the Capitol.
After years of debate over the flag’s meaning and its appropriateness as a national symbol, a compromise was finally reached.
In 1999, the NAACP called for a boycott of South Carolina, putting economic pressure on the state.
Ultimately, the state’s business leaders expressed support for removing the flag from the state Capitol dome.
After white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine people inside the Emanuel Africa Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston in 2015, former Gov. Nikki Haley called for its complete removal from the state Capitol.
Where is the Spartanburg County Confederate Flag located?
This flag once could be seen while traveling south on Interstate 85 near Teaberry Road in Spartanburg County.
This article originally appeared in The Greenville News: Spartanburg County Confederate flag ordered to be removed along Interstate 85
