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After years of debate on whether to move the historic Alamo cenotaph, the monument to the fallen heroes of The Alamo is now in the care of the Texas General Land Office. Land Office Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told KTRH that it will not be moved.
The Alamo Cenotaph, also known as "The Spirit of Sacrifice," serves as an empty tomb and final resting place for the 189 defenders of The Alamo who gave their lives for Texas independence on March 6th, 1836. All defenders of The Alamo were cremated by Santa Ana's Mexican army after the battle, and in 1936, in celebration of 100 years of Texas, the monument was erected on the spot where the soldiers were burned.
Until recently, the cenotaph and Alamo Plaza were property of the city of San Antonio, and for several years, there has been significant debate on whether to move the monument. The city of San Antonio has voted to cede the cenotaph and the Alamo Plaza to the Texas General Land Office. Current GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham told KTRH that now they can use their appropriation of $400 million to preserve, protect, and restore the cenotaph.
Buckingham also said, "The cenotaph will remain where it is, where I believe it should be. And we'll also have the resources to ensure that it's fully restored and protected so that it can stand for a very long period of time."