Hey guys -- good news! Since the first (and second) “Actual Factual Gwinnett” columns appeared, we’ve gotten lots of feedback – and questions – from you all. Keep 'em coming, and let’s jump right into today's edition with a question from Shannon V. in Lawrenceville.
"Who does the statue on top of the Mall of Georgia depict?" she writes. "I've heard Button Gwinnett, but don't know for sure."
An excellent question, dear Shannon.
Short answer: Yes, that's Button Gwinnett – the county's Declaration of Independence-signing namesake – perched high above the main entrance of the Mall of Georgia, on top of that iron gazebo-looking thing. The fiberglass statue was made in Colorado, is 9 feet tall and was put in place in July 1999.
More interesting answer that's sort of related but not really: Did you know Button Gwinnett died in a duel? An old school, take-a-few-paces-then-turn-around-and-shoot type of duel?
More on that, without too many boring details, per the New Georgia Encyclopedia: Gwinnett left England and arrived in the Savannah area in 1765. He was into local politics, went broke and went away, then reemerged when the whole "American Revolution" thing started brewing.
In early 1776, Gwinnett was chosen as commander of Georgia’s “Continental battalion” – then decided to accept an appointment to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia instead. A guy named Lachlan McIntosh took over the battalion.
After signing the Declaration of Independence (and various other tasks, I’m sure), Gwinnett returned to Georgia and became speaker of the state’s “provincial Congress.” He “began to purge the military of officers whom he and his followers deemed less than zealous in their enthusiasm for the Whig cause.” McIntosh didn’t like this, or Gwinnett’s proposed “military foray” into British East Florida.
McIntosh called Gwinnett out, and Gwinnett challenged him to a duel. On May 16, 1777, they shot each other.
McIntosh survived. Gwinnett died three days later, but would be immortalized high atop a suburban shopping mall some 222 years later.
Totally worth it.
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I, Tyler Estep, am a staff writer with the AJC and a Gwinnett County native. To submit “Actual Factual Gwinnett” questions, contact me at tyler.estep@coxinc.com, @ByTylerEstep on Twitter or via the form below.
In the meantime, read the column’s first and second installments:
»Where did the "Success Lives Here" towers go?
»Which Hollywood actress used to own a Gwinnett city?
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