A project that would put replicas of the nation’s three founding documents on permanent display has been proposed to the Beaufort County Board of Commissioners.

Retired U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Ron Lewis, of the private nonprofit Foundation Forward, proposed the construction of a Freedom Monument at the board’s meeting on Feb. 6. Based on the design at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the monument showcases copies of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The replicated documents are made of brass and weigh approximately 60 pounds each; options are given as to the cases surrounding them — granite, limestone or brick; and each is covered by bulletproof glass, Lewis said.

The project would come at no cost to the county, other than a place where the Charters of Freedom could take up permanent residence, as Foundation Forward works with local civic organizations and businesses to raise funds for the project, he said.

During his presentation, Lewis told commissioners the purpose behind Foundation Forward monuments is educational: rather than school-aged children traveling to Washington, D.C., to see the documents, the 3,143 local governments across the U.S. should have access to them at home.

“This is what we envisioned in the beginning: that school children would come with their teacher to learn about the Founding Fathers and what they did to create this great country, in addition to local history and other things. … It’s our goal over the next nine years to build as many of these as we can across the country. It’s all about education, access in the community,” Lewis said.

That the three original documents have been ravaged by time is another incentive, he said.

“They’re in pretty bad shape — lots of wear and tear. Time has taken its toll on them. The worst one is the Bill of Rights,” Lewis said.

Also included in the monuments are time capsules, the contents of which are determined by the locality, that are to be opened on Sept 17, 2087, the 300th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution.

Lewis gave the presentation at the invitation of Commissioner Gary Brinn. Brinn said he’d spoken with city and county officials, and there seems to be consensus that a site can be found for the county’s own Freedom Monument.

“They’ve got a place that we can put your monument,” Brinn told Lewis. “I guess all we need now is to raise the money.”

The board will make a decision about pursuing the project during March’s regularly scheduled meeting.