Monument Avenue is a tree-lined grassy mall dividing the eastbound and westbound traffic in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. Between 1900 and 1925, Monument Avenue greatly expanded with architecturally significant houses, churches, and apartment buildings. Four of the bronze statues representing

J. E. B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

Jefferson Davis Jefferson F. Davis (June 3, 1808December 6, 1889) was an American politician who served as the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865. He represented Mississippi in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives as a ...

and Matthew Fontaine Maury were removed from their memorial pedestals amidst civil unrest in July 2020. The Robert E. Lee monument was handled differently as it was owned by the Commonwealth, in contrast with the other monuments which were owned by the city. Dedicated in 1890, it was removed on September 8, 2021. All these monuments, including their pedestals, have now been removed completely from the Avenue. The last remaining statue on Monument Avenue is the

Arthur Ashe Monument The Arthur Ashe Monument is a bronze sculpture by Paul DiPasquale installed along Richmond, Virginia's Monument Avenue. The statue depicts tennis player Arthur Ashe, who was born, raised and buried in Richmond. Description The statue is situated ...

, memorializing the African-American tennis champion, dedicated in 1996. In the wake of the protests that followed the

murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...

in 2020, the Davis monument was torn down by protestors, while the Lee monument was ordered to be removed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Ralph Northam. In July 2020, Richmond mayor Levar Stoney directed removal of the remaining Confederate monuments on city-owned land including J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Matthew Fontaine Maury, the cannons marking the Richmond Defenses, and other monuments around the Richmond area. Monument Avenue is the site of several annual events, particularly in the spring, including an annual

Monument Avenue 10K The Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, also known as the Monument Avenue 10K, is an annual 10-kilometer road running event, sanctioned by USA Track and Field. The race is run on historic Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia. Begun in 2000, the race h ...

race and "Easter on Parade", when many Richmonders stroll the avenue wearing Easter bonnets and other finery. Prior to 2020, at various times (such as Robert E. Lee's birthday and

Confederate History Month Confederate History Month is a month designated by seven state governments in the Southern United States for the purpose of recognizing and honoring the history of the Confederate States of America. April has traditionally been chosen, as Confeder ...

), the Sons of Confederate Veterans gathered along Monument Avenue in period military costumes. "Monument Avenue Historic District" includes the part of Monument Avenue beginning at the traffic circle in the east at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Lombardy Street, extending westward for some fourteen blocks to Roseneath Avenue, and is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

as a National Historic Landmark District. The

American Planning Association The American Planning Association (APA) is a professional organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States. APA was formed in 1978, when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Pla ...

selected Monument Avenue as one of the "10 Great Streets in America for 2007" based upon the corridor's historical residential design and craftsmanship, diversity of land uses, the integration of multiple forms of transportation, and the commitment of the community to preserve its legacy.

History

The former capital of the Confederacy, Richmond became a central location of the “Lost Cause” myths. The Southern economy was largely devastated due to the war; former Confederates therefore held onto their pride and demanded respect. Monument Avenue was conceived during a site search for a memorial statue of General Robert E. Lee after Lee's death in 1870. Richmond citizens had been wanting to erect statues for three Virginians who had helped defend the city (two of whom were killed in the defense). City plans as early as 1887 show the proposed site, a circle of land, just past the end of West Franklin Street, a premier uptown residential avenue at the time. The land was owned by a wealthy Richmonder, Otway C. Allen. The plan for the statue included building a grand avenue extending west lined with trees along a central grassy median, in accordance with the “City Beautiful” style of urban planning and civic design during this time. The plan shows building plots which Allen intended to sell to developers and those wishing to build houses on the new grand avenue. On May 29, 1890, crowds were estimated at 100,000 to view the unveiling of the first monument, a massive memorial to Robert E. Lee. It would take about 10 years for wealthy Richmonders and speculative developers to start buying the lots and building houses along the avenue, but in the years between 1900 and 1925 Monument Avenue exploded with architecturally significant houses, churches and apartment buildings. The architects who built on Monument Avenue practiced in the region and nationally, and included the firms of John Russell Pope,

William Bottomley Rev. Victor Montgomery Keeling James (19 March 1897 – 1984) was a Unitarian minister in Melbourne, Victoria from 1947 to 1969. He was the target of right-wing hostility in the 1950s and 1960s due to his activities in the peace movement and link ...

, Duncan Lee,

Marcellus Wright Marcellus Eugene Wright Sr. (April 8, 1881 – December 7, 1962) was an American architect. He was active in Richmond, Virginia and the surrounding region during the first half of the 20th century. In addition to his work on hotels, Wright was a ...

Claude Howell Claude may refer to: __NOTOC__ People and fictional characters * Claude (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Claude (surname), a list of people * Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682), French landscape painter, draughtsman and etcher ...

Henry Baskervill Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

D. Wiley Anderson David Wiley Anderson (August 20, 1864 in Louisa, Virginia, Louisa, Virginia – April 7, 1940 in Scottsville, Virginia, Scottsville, Virginia) was an American architect based in Richmond, Virginia. He was well known in Virginia for his residentia ...

and

Albert Huntt Albert F. Huntt (c. 1868 – July 14, 1920) was an architect in Richmond, Virginia.Fan District section, in particular, is lined with large mansions from the end of the

Gilded Age In United States history, the Gilded Age was an era extending roughly from 1877 to 1900, which was sandwiched between the Reconstruction era and the Progressive Era. It was a time of rapid economic growth, especially in the Northern and Weste ...

. The Museum District part of Monument Avenue includes a combination of large houses (especially in the 3100 block), apartment buildings, and smaller single-family houses. West of Interstate 195, Monument Avenue becomes a more typically suburban avenue, although it continues the wide lanes and expansive grassy median with a variety of trees through to its termination a little over two miles past the current city limits in Henrico County. Through the decades, the avenue has had its ups and downs. As early as 1910, but mostly during the 1950s and '60s, many of the large homes were subdivided into apartments, or interior rooms and carriage houses were let to boarders as the upper class abandoned Monument Avenue for newer suburban neighborhoods in the West End. A few houses were demolished to make way for parking lots or building expansions, and several modern additions were tucked between earlier existing buildings. But protections put in place by the city by designating Monument Avenue as an Old and Historic Neighborhood have helped maintain the integrity of the neighborhood. In 1969, a group was incorporated called The Residents and Associates for the Preservation of Monument Avenue, led by Zayde Rennolds Dotts (Mrs. Walter Dotts, Jr.), granddaughter of Beulah and John Kerr Branch, a banker who had commissioned a Jacobean mansion on Monument Avenue in 1914 by the firm of John Russell Pope. In 1970 the group changed its name to the Monument Avenue Preservation Society (MAPS). Virginia 418

From 1981 to 1988, just over of Monument Avenue between Malvern Avenue (VA 197) and Arthur Ashe Boulevard (VA 161) was officially designated as unsigned State Route 418. In August 2017, following statue-related violence incited by right and left wing extremist groups in Charlottesville, VA, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced that the city's Monument Avenue commission would look at providing contextual markers around the Confederate monuments as an option for dealing with the issues raised by statues honoring men who fought to preserve slavery and fracture the Union. At that time, removal of such statues was not permitted at the local level under Virginia law. In April 2020, the Democratic Party took over the Virginia legislature and changed the law, allowing local jurisdictions to remove monuments other than in cemeteries and the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

; the changes were to take effect in July 2020. On June 10, 2020, protestors tore down the statue of Jefferson Davis from its pedestal. On the first day the new law was in effect, July 1, 2020, Mayor Stoney had a State of Emergency extended to justify the removal of the statue of Stonewall Jackson by a city of Richmond contract, followed with the removal of the Maury statue and the defensive cannon display on July 2. Mayor Stoney then announced plans to remove a total of 11 Confederate memorials. Mayor Stoney is under investigation for the awarding of a $1.8 million contract to a political donor for the removal of the monuments.

Monuments

Monument Avenue is home to the

, a memorial to Richmond native

Arthur Ashe Arthur Robert Ashe Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American professional tennis player who won three Grand Slam singles titles. He started to play tennis at six years old. He was the first black player selected to the Unite ...

. Sculpted by Paul DiPasquale, it was unveiled on July 10, 1996. The Avenue previously included several statues dedicated to Confederate military and political figures, including:

Robert E. Lee Monument

The Robert E. Lee Monument was located in the traffic circle at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Allen Street. Dedicated in 1890, the Lee Monument was the first and the largest of the street's monuments. It was removed on September 8, 2021 by the Commonwealth of Virginia following a state Supreme Court ruling. At the time it was removed, the Lee Statue was the last existing Confederate Monument on Monument Avenue.

J.E.B. Stuart Monument

The J. E. B. Stuart Monument was located in the traffic circle at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Lombardy Street. The statue of Stuart was removed by the City of Richmond on July 7, 2020. The empty pedestal stood until February 2022, when it too was removed, and the traffic circle has been made into a garden.

Jefferson Davis Memorial

The

Jefferson Davis Memorial The following is a list of the memorials to Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America. Sculpture *Jefferson Davis is included on a ''bas-relief'' sculpture on Stone Mountain, which is just east of Atlanta, Georgia. *A ...

was located at the intersection of Monument Avenue and North Davis Street. The statue was toppled on June 10, 2020, during the protests following the

Stonewall Jackson Monument

The equestrian statue of Stonewall Jackson was located at the intersection of Monument Avenue and North Boulevard. Mayor Stoney had the monument removed on July 1, 2020. In February 2022 the empty pedestal was removed and the site has been paved over, making it a "normal" traffic junction.

Matthew Fontaine Maury Monument

The

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, his ...

of Matthew Fontaine Maury was located on Monument Avenue at Belmont Avenue. The statue of Maury was removed on July 2, 2020, and the globe followed on July 9. The empty pedestal was removed in February 2022 and the site is now a garden.

Arthur Ashe Monument

Nearly a century after the original monuments were put in place, the Richmond community approved a statue of

by Paul DiPasquale to be placed on Monument Avenue. The statue's placement lacked a correlation between the tennis star and the Confederate leaders already represented on the Avenue. Some residents thought the monument should be placed at the

Arthur Ashe Athletic Center The Arthur Ashe Athletic Center is a 6,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Richmond, Virginia. It was built in 1982. It hosts local sporting events and concerts. It is named after former tennis player and Richmond resident Arthur Ashe. The Ashe Cent ...

. The monument became a significant discussion point in the city around the times of its commission and its unveiling. Many of the city's residents cited Ashe's distinguished place in the modern history of the city as a reason for inclusion, while some residents and other parties rejected it as inappropriate for Monument Avenue, which had contained only statues of men with a relationship to the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. Ashe's statue was the farthest one placed on the Avenue, situated in what is known as the Museum District, just west of the city's Fan district. Ashe stands, racket in hand, on a pedestal bearing the Biblical quote: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Controversy

The Confederate memorials on Monument Avenue have been a source of controversy from time to time since they were first built. Opponents have pointed to their roots in the " Lost Cause" and Virginia's "

Massive Resistance Massive resistance was a strategy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. of Virginia and his brother-in-law James M. Thomson, who represented Alexandria in the Virginia General Assembly, to get the state's white politicians to pass laws and p ...

" to racial integration of public schools to argue that the statues symbolize

white supremacy White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White su ...

and should be removed or revised. Proponents of preservation recognize the monuments as veterans' memorials erected to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Confederate soldiers and citizens who died fighting to defend Richmond during the Civil War. The removal movement gained momentum following a similar controversy with Charlottesville, Virginia's Robert E. Lee statue and the subsequent events of the "Unite The Right" rally on August 11–12, 2017. In late 2017, Mayor Levar Stoney announced the formation of a "Monument Avenue Commission" that was chartered to solicit the public's input and ultimately provide recommendations on the future of the monuments. In mid-2018, the Commission issued its recommendations, calling for the removal of the Jefferson Davis monument while expressing a desire to attach signage "reinterpreting" the Lee, Jackson, Stuart and Maury monuments. During the 2020 protests that erupted after the

in Minneapolis, the statues again became a focal point in Richmond. They became a frequent site for both peaceful as well as violent protests. Throughout this period, the statues were covered in graffiti and surrounded with materials such as signs, artwork, candles, and flowers. Richmond-based artists, Dustin Klein and Alex Criqui created ''Reclaiming the Monument,'' a series of light projections that transformed the Confederate statues at night, in particular the Robert E. Lee Monument. In June 2020, Governor Ralph Northam announced he had been working for a full year on plans to remove the Lee monument from the avenue. Immediately following Gov. Northam's announcement, Richmond's Mayor Stoney announced plans to remove the other four Confederate statues along with seven additional related monuments throughout the city. The City of Richmond began work to remove the city-controlled statues, beginning with the Stonewall Jackson monument, on July 1, 2020. Matthew Maury's statue was removed on July 2, and J. E. B. Stuart's on July 7. The Lee Monument was removed by the Commonwealth of Virginia on September 8, 2021.

Disposition of the monuments

The statues are presently in an open-air industrial area in Richmond, whose location has been withheld. Richmond recently transferred ownership of the fallen memorials to the

Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) is an American 501(c)(3) organization and museum established in 1981 and focused on the history of Black and African Americans in the state of Virginia. It is located in the Leigh ...

; it is now up to the institution to decide what to do with them. In the fall of 2023, the Jefferson Davis statue will travel to Los Angeles, where it will be exhibited as part of a display of toppled Confederate art works.

References

External links

*
Monument Avenue Commission

On Monument Avenue
online exhibits about the avenue's origins and development

*Photograph. ttp://dig.library.vcu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/cook/id/377 Robert E. Lee, Equestrian Intersection of Monument and Allen Avenue, early 1890s ''Through the Lens of Time'', VCU Libraries
''How the Monuments Came Down''
documentary film about Monument Avenue's history and legacy {{National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Colonial Revival architecture in Virginia Georgian Revival architecture in Virginia Gothic Revival architecture in Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia Historic district contributing properties in Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Historic Landmarks in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Richmond, Virginia Transportation in Richmond, Virginia