Limestone's closing prompts moving Bob Prevatte's statue to Gaffney High

When his statue was unveiled on Limestone University's campus in 2019, a university news release described it as legendary football coach Bob Prevatte’s “forever home.”

The closing of Limestone this spring has made the permanence of campus landmarks less certain.

With that in mind, the Cherokee County School District board of trustees agreed to take ownership of the statue. It will be relocated to the Gaffney High School football stadium, known as “the Reservation,” said interim superintendent Thomas White.

The Limestone board of trustees approved the plan. Sossaman Construction is helping with the placement of the eight-foot bronze statue at Gaffney High School.

It’s an appropriate destination for the statue.

Prevatte, who died in 2023, was one of the most successful coaches in the storied history of Gaffney football.

During the 1960s, his teams won five state championships. From 1956 to 1969, he compiled a record of 119-29-1, never having a losing season.

Prevatte’s family sent the Herald-Journal a statement about the statue’s move to Gaffney High:

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated fans and alumni of Gaffney High School who mobilized to secure a new home for the statue. Their efforts, along with those of Sossaman Construction and the Cherokee County School District board of trustees, are deeply appreciated.

"We are saddened by the closure of Limestone University, a place our father and grandfather cherished greatly. Relocating the statue outside of the Reservation feels like a fitting tribute, as we all know how much he loved his Gaffney Indians! We look forward to seeing it there this football season.”

After leaving the coaching profession, Prevatte took a role working for Jerry Richardson at Spartan Foods.

Richardson had played for Prevatte when he coached at Fayetteville High School in North Carolina.

He would go on to play at Prevatte’s alma mater, Wofford College, before a stint with the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. He later owned the Carolina Panthers.

Richardson’s foundation funded the construction of the Bob Prevatte Athletic Complex at Limestone.

In a 2018 Herald-Journal article about the gift to build a facility, Richardson described Prevatte as an important mentor. He credited his former coach with teaching resilience and attention to detail.

"We'd do blocking drills, and you really wanted to do it right, because if you didn't, he'd demonstrate the right way on you," he said. “He was tough, and he was a winner.”

Prevatte’s statue was designed by California-based artist Todd Andrews, according to a 2019 Limestone news release.

It isn’t the only piece of Limestone history that community members have been concerned about saving.

The Cherokee County Historical and Preservation Society has been working with campus officials to save and maintain important artworks and documents.