Robert E. Lee statue removal in 2017 (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)

Don’t you just hate it when your park has a plinth that needs to be removed? The plinthectomy at Oak Lawn Park begins today (Tuesday, Jan. 22.)

The plinth, or statue base, in question is the one where Robert E. Lee, his horse and his boyfriend stood for decades when the park was known as Lee Park. The Lee statue was removed after several false starts in 2017.

What surprised work crews was how the statue was secured to the plinth — bolted in a way that wasn’t done in the 1930s. At that time, it was more common to simply place a statue on its base. The weight alone would have been enough to keep it in place.

The plinth has been a gathering point for white supremacists and open carry activists since the statue removal began.

Conservation consultants will create a plan to disassemble and store the plinth, seating and stairs. The site will be landscaped by Dallas Park and Recreation Facility Services.

— David Taffet