Virginia Governor Ralph Northam removed the pedestal of Robert E. Lee’s statue
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia governor’s office on Sunday announced it would remove the pedestal of the former Robert E. Lee statue in Richmond and cede the state-owned property it stands on to the city.
Governor Ralph Northam’s office said the removal of the pedestal would begin Monday. Removal will be completed by the end of December.
“This land in between Richmond, and the Richmonders will determine the future of this space,” Northam, who leaves office next month, said in a statement released by his office. “The Commonwealth will be removing the pedestal and we anticipate a safe removal and a successful end to this project.”
The statue, which has stood on Monument Avenue for 130 years, was removed earlier this year after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that the state, which owned the property, was not bound by a centuries-old deed among a group of Henrico County citizens who paid to make the sculpture copper and the commonwealth.
Two years ago, the General Assembly passed legislation authorizing the removal of Confederate monuments on publicly owned properties.
USA TODAY Opinions:I am the president of a university that has found slave artifacts on campus. Here’s how we respond.
‘Waiting for this day for over four years’:Charlottesville removes Confederate statues, including one that sparked deadly far-right protest
The statue of Lee, once considered the “jewel” of all the Confederate memorials dotting Monument Avenue for many years, is the only one in Virginia’s possession. The remainder is owned by the city of Richmond and was taken down by the city shortly after the law was enacted.
The statue, located in a traffic roundabout at the intersection of Monument and Allen Avenue, was considered “point zero” for last year’s protests in Richmond following the deaths of several Black citizens at the hands of Mr. police officers in Minnesota and Kentucky.
When Your Majesty descends, the land will be transferred to Richmond. When Exact details of the future after the traffic circle’s removal are yet to be determined, plans have called for the city and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to decide on a joint project for the site.
A notice from the governor’s office said the state would “safely disassemble and remove the platform until next steps are determined.” The statue on the pedestal was also disassembled and stored in storage.
According to reports, a time capsule was placed inside the pedestal in 1887, but so far, the crew has not been able to locate it. If found, the state will store it along with the pedestal.