SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – After years of controversy, a statue of a former San Jose mayor is being taken down.

Crews worked to dismantle the foundation below the bronze statue of former San Jose Mayor Thomas Fallon. The statue depicts Fallon raising the United States flag over San Jose during the Mexican American War in 1846. 

The statue was commissioned in the 1980s and has been on display along West Saint James Street for decades. Supporters have said it is a reminder of an important period in the city’s history, but some believe it represents a time when Native American and Mexican communities were the victims of brutal treatment. 

In 2021, the San Jose city council voted to remove the statue which is estimated to cost around $450,000. The removal is scheduled to be completed by the end of the month with the statue being moved into storage.

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Some have suggested to melt it down and make a new statue. Others have suggested the statue should be placed in a museum where it can be displayed in context with other displays from the era.

There are no plans to place another statue in the location where Fallon’s statue is being removed.