Gen. Robert E. Lee Statue Comes Down In Richmond As Crowds Cheer

RICHMOND, VA — A 12-ton statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee was hoisted off its pedestal in a traffic circle in Richmond Wednesday morning. The statue was installed on Monument Avenue in 1890 to honor Lee and the Confederacy.

A crowd erupted in cheers as work crews lifted the enormous statue of the Confederate general off the giant pedestal. After the crane lowered the 12-ton statue of Lee and his horse, Traveler, to the ground, workers cut it into separate pieces for transport to a storage facility.

“The statue of Robert E. Lee has finally come down — the last Confederate statue on Monument Avenue, and the largest in the South," Northam said in a statement Wednesday. "It is time to display history as history, and use the public memorials to honor the full and inclusive truth of who we are today and in the future.”

The statue pieces will be taken to Goochland Women’s Correctional Center for temporary storage until a decision is made about its final disposition, WRIC reported Wednesday.

“This is a historic day, brought about by people from our community who have carried the torch for justice," state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-09) said in a statement Wednesday. "The removal of this painful monument would not have happened if not for the community leaders who fought long odds to make this historic moment a reality."

Aside from the Lee statue, historians believe a copper time capsule was placed in the cornerstone of the pedestal on Oct. 27, 1887. The original time capsule will be removed on Thursday and handed over to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

In the late 1880s, records from the Library of Virginia suggest that 37 Richmond residents, organizations and businesses contributed about 60 objects to the original capsule, many of which are believed to be related to the Confederacy.

On Thursday, workers will be placing a new time capsule into the pedestal for the Lee statue. Artifacts for the new time capsule were suggested by members of the public, and narrowed down to 39 final choices by a committee that included historians from the Richmond region’s historical and cultural museums and members of Northam’s cabinet

The artifacts are intended to reflect the cultural moment in the history of Virginia and the nation, according to Northam’s office. They include a vaccination card, a photo of a Black ballerina in front of the statue, a Black Lives Matter sticker, a face mask and a poem written in Unified English Braille.

SEE ALSO: Time Capsule In Pedestal Of Robert E. Lee Statue To Be Replaced

The new time capsule, crafted by Richmond sculptor Paul DiPasquale, will then be placed inside the pedestal.

"In the midst of demonstrations and reclaiming space, my photo of Black ballerina at America's largest Confederate statue made national headlines in June 2020, surprising and inspiring viewers," said photographer Marcus Ingram, whose photo will be included in the time capsule.

Among the members of the committee that chose the artifacts for the new time capsule were Heather Anderson, community engagement coordinator at Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia; Jamie Bosket, CEO of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture; Christy Coleman, executive director of Jamestown Yorktown Foundation; state Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-District 9); Pamela Northam, first lady of Virginia; Scott Stroh, executive director of Gunston Hall; and Dr. Sandra Treadway, Librarian of Virginia.

Visit the governor's Facebook page or his Twitter handle on Wednesday to watch the removal of the Lee statue and on Thursday to watch the removal of the old time capsule and the placement of the new time capsule inside the statue's pedestal.

RELATED: Photos: Crews Remove Robert E. Lee Statue In Richmond