Monument Avenue's tree-lined grassy mall divides eastbound from westbound traffic here in Richmond, Virginia. This stretch was originally named for its emblematic complex of structures honoring those who fought for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Between 1900 and 1925 the Avenue greatly expanded, framed by architecturally significant houses, churches, and apartment buildings that still give this boulevard its gracious feel.
You’ll notice the history of recent years written in absence as much as presence: four bronze statues representing J. E. B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis and Matthew Fontaine Maury were removed from their memorial pedestals amidst civil unrest in July 2020, and the Davis monument was torn down by protestors in the wake of the protests that followed the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The Robert E. Lee Monument, dedicated in 1890, was handled differently because it was owned by the Commonwealth, and it was removed on September 8, 2021. All these monuments and their pedestals have now been removed completely from the Avenue.
The last remaining statue here is the Arthur Ashe Monument, memorializing the African-American tennis champion, dedicated in 1996, the grassy mall and the buildings that rose between 1900 and 1925 stretching out before you.