Whose statue should replace Lee's at U.S. Capitol? Tuesday is your chance to speak up.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Whose statue should replace Lee's at U.S. Capitol? Tuesday is your chance to speak up.

Andrew Cain 12 hrs ago

A state panel charged with recommending a replacement for Virginia’s Robert E. Lee statue at the U.S. Capitol will hold a virtual public hearing Tuesday to hear Virginians’ suggestions.

The hearing by the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and to last for several hours. The first 80 people who sign up to speak will get to make their case for up to 3 minutes each.

Following the public hearing and the Nov. 27 deadline to submit written comments, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources will present to the panel a list of five finalists. The commission will pick one of the five to recommend to the General Assembly in December.

Notable Virginians suggested most frequently in recent written comments submitted to the commission include:

{snip}

To register to attend the hearing, go to the Department of Historic Resources website at dhr.virginia.gov and scroll down to the section on the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol.

People who wish to speak must register by 5 p.m. Monday, the evening before Tuesday’s hearing. The panel will accept written suggestions until 5 p.m. Nov. 27 at [e-mail].

[e-mail]

[phone]

Twitter: @AndrewCainRTD

[cilla4progress]

1. How about American

Poll workers?

[RainCaster]

2. Susan B. Anthony

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. She's not a Virginian. NT

[rogue emissary]

4. Booker T. Washington

(1856-1915) was born into slavery and rose to become a leading African American intellectual of the 19 century, founding Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute (Now Tuskegee University) in 1881 and the National Negro Business League two decades later.
Born: April 5, 1856, Hale's Ford, Westlake Corner, VA

[OldBaldy1701E]

5. Definitely a good choice! (n/t)

[OldBaldy1701E]

6. A question...

It has been a number of years since I have been ro Richmond, so I do not remember which statues are around the capitol. Can anyone provide a list of this? I thought about Patrick Henry... is he already there? What about William Byrd? I am not sure about who is there ad who is not. Can anyone advise?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. The statue of Lee in question is in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. To answer your question,

I don't know.

Let's see what I can find.

Virginia State Capitol and Capitol Square says, on page 2, that there's a whole bunch of them:

{snip}

Capitol Square

Washington Equestrian Monument

A large equestrian statue of George Washington atop a granite pedestal is located just northwest of the Capitol at the formal entrance to the square. This monument was conceived to honor Washington and to glorify Virginia’s contributions to our nation’s independence. Virginia’s role in the Revolution is represented by bronze statues of six soldiers and statesmen, which surround the mounted figure of General Washington at the top of the granite monument. Smaller allegorical figures below the six standing statues are inscribed with themes reflecting each patriot’s contribution: Andrew Lewis, Colonial Times; Patrick Henry, Revolution; George Mason, Bill of Rights; Thomas Jefferson, Independence; Thomas Nelson, Jr., Finance; and John Marshall, Justice.

American Sculptor Thomas Crawford designed the monument and completed the statues of Washington, Jefferson, and Henry. The cornerstone was laid on Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1850, and the Washington Statue was unveiled on February 22, 1858. Crawford died in 1857 before completing the monument. His American colleague, Randolph Rogers, executed the statues of Mason, Marshall, Nelson, and Lewis, as well as the allegorical figures, the last of which was put into place in 1869.

Statues, Monuments, and Trees

In the southwest corner of the Square near the Bell Tower, which was completed in 1825 for use by the Virginia Public Guard, is a seated statue of Edgar Allan Poe. Poe grew up in Richmond and returned years later to edit The Southern Literary Messenger. On the grounds north of the Capitol are the zero milestone, for measuring highway distances from Richmond, and bronze statues of former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Sr.; William “Extra Billy” Smith, Governor of Virginia and Confederate Brigadier General; Confederate Major General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson; and Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, a respected Southern surgeon.

Among those honored with trees on the grounds are presidents Washington and Tyler, governors Colgate Darden, Charles Robb, and Gerald Baliles, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Martin Luther King, Jr. Among new monuments on Capitol Square is one honoring Virginians who were active in the Civil Rights movement during the 1950s and 60s. Outside the fence is a new memorial that honors public safety workers killed in the line of duty. Future monuments planned for the West Dell will honor the achievements of Virginia women and pay tribute to Virginia Indians.

{snip}

Here's another website:

The Virginia State Capitol Art Collection

[phylny]

7. An anonymous, female slave.