SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Schuylerville Mayor Dan Carpenter has offered to take the statue of Major General Philip Schuyler from Albany City Hall.

The statue is slated to be removed from its location outside city hall because Schuyler was a slave owner. His representation in a place of prominence outside the building has been a discussion for about a year.

“We felt it would be appropriate to reach out to the mayor’s office and offer assistance to have it brought to the national park service,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said he reached out to the mayor’s office twice but has not received a response.

“I understand and by no way am I condoning that General Schuyler owned slaves. It was a disgusting practice back then, however within the historical contexts of the village, the Schuyler house we have here, I do feel it would be appropriate to bring it up here,” Carpenter said.

Schuylerville is not immune to the debate of renaming due to its controversial namesake.

In the early 2000s, renaming the village was put to a vote to change it to Old Saratoga. Carpenter said that was voted down two to one.

“There’s no talk now between the town board, the village board or any of the other community leaders to change the name from Schuylerville,” Carpenter said.

There’s a petition with more than 300 signatures to move the statue to a location in the village.

Local historian Jack McEneny said the statue should be used as a teaching moment. Like the controversy surrounding the statue, he said history is complex.

“When you’re burying history, you’re often burying the truth because you go out of sight, out of mind,” McEneny said.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan said the statue will be moved somewhere it can be contextualized. McEneny hopes during this time of societal angst people can learn from the past.

“It makes you ask questions. And then to see that somebody who did so much good was capable of so much bad,” McEneny said.

Albany’s Department of General Services will inspect the structural integrity of the statue before it’s moved. Mayor Sheehan said it will be placed somewhere it can be contextualized.