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GREENVILLE — The anonymous Confederate statue topping a 27-foot (8 meter) monument outside a courthouse in eastern North Carolina was removed Monday after local officials gave their approval last week.

Crews removed the bronze statue that tops the monument outside the Pitt County Courthouse in Greenville, according to a news release from Pitt County. Crews began shortly after midnight and worked more than five hours early Monday morning to lift the statue off its pedestal with a crane.

The county release said the pedestal and base will be taken down later because a contracted crane had a mechanical issue.

The crews worked overnight to minimize traffic and safety concerns.

The county’s Board of Commissioners voted 7-2 on June 15 in favor of the monument’s removal. It will be stored at a secure location until county officials determine a permanent solution.

The Pitt County statue is among several that have come down around the state in recent weeks.