Monument Avenue - the (almost) forgotten monuments

Everybody in the Richmond area knows about Monument Avenue. It is probably one of the most beautiful avenues in the entire state. Should you travel on Monument Avenue on the weekends, be extra careful while viewing the monuments while driving. Joggers abound in the area and many use the street rather than the sidewalks. With a wide median, it can accommodate the joggers and walkers – even Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k with a capacity of 35,000 participants this year.

There are also parades along this busy thoroughfare, most notably the Easter Parade, where all sorts of attire and bonnets can be seen. But it truly is set aside from the rest of the Commonwealth because of the monuments.

If called upon to identify leaders of the past that grace this vibrant thoroughfare that runs from Stuart Circle in the east to the city line near Staples Mill Road, most could probably come up with three and possibly four.

The grandest of them all is the General Robert E. Lee monument that stands at the intersection of Allen Avenue. Unveiled in 1890, it stands 61 feet in height and has the largest circular land area upon which it sits of all the other monuments. Lee, facing north, is astride Traveler, his favorite horse. Of significance is the fact that there are only two words on the memorial. On the east and west side of the pedestal upon which he and Traveler stand is the word “LEE.” Unlike other statuary, it is obvious that the sculptor believed that was all that was required to identify this man.

Another notable figure on this highway of monuments lies to the west at the intersection with the Boulevard. Here General Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, facing south, rides upon his war horse, Little Sorrel. The memorial, unveiled in 1919, is 37 feet tall. One unusual feature is the fact that on the north side is inscribed the following: “Born 1824 Killed at Chancellorsville 1863. In fact, Jackson was wounded at Chancellorsville and died several days later at Guinea Station, just south of Fredericksburg.

The equestrian statue to General James Ewell Brown “Jeb” Stuart, erected in 1907, is at the eastern end of Monument Avenue, where the roadway around this statuary is identified as Stuart Circle. Frequently referred to as the “Last Cavalier,” Stuart on this equestrian statue is wearing his famous plumed hat and is facing east. His is the only statue to have crossed sabers, representing his cavalry command, to embellish the iron fencing that encircles his monument.

The most recent monument is that of Arthur Ashe, noted tennis star whose birthplace was the City of Richmond. Erected in 1996, it is the westernmost of all the significant memorials and is located at the Roseneath Road intersection. Standing 28 feet in height, it displays Ashe, facing west, with tennis racket uplifted and four children at his feet. Controversial when it was erected because previously the roadway had been identified as the “Avenue of the Confederacy,” the controversy has faded over the past 13 years. This memorial is the only one on the avenue to bear a quotation from the Bible. The quotation is from Hebrews 12:1.

Of the remaining significant memorials, the tallest, standing 67 feet in height recognizes Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy. Dedicated in 1907, it is located appropriately at the intersection with Davis Avenue, and contains a statue of Davis with his left hand resting on a book, presumably an open book of history. Behind Davis’ statue is a large column that accounts for the height of this memorial. Although from Mississippi, Davis final resting place is in nearby Hollywood Cemetery.

The last of the monuments is probably the least recognizable from a historical perspective. Matthew Fontaine Maury sits in front of the world which rests on a column supported by various human and animal figures, as well as a small boat. Above his head are various sea birds and below his feet are numerous fish. Dedicated in 1929, it, like the one to General Stuart is only 24 feet in height. Below his name is the sobriquet, “Pathfinder of the Seas”, which was given him because of his interest in oceanography and because he wrote the first textbook on that subject in 1855 entitled “The Physical Geography of the Seas.” During the war, he served in the Confederate Navy. He, like Jefferson Davis, rests in nearby Hollywood cemetery.

There are but two other monuments on this thoroughfare. Though small, compared to the others, they present information that no longer can be viewed with the naked eye. They tell of a time when Monument Avenue didn’t truly exist and yet they identify the effort involved in trying to protect homes and the city from invasion during the war years of 1861-1865.

Just west of the Arthur Ashe memorial is a small pedestal upon which rests a cannon. Now green with oxidation, its muzzle bears numbers, but markings are basically illegible. It will fire no more upon the foe, for its bore is filled with cement. The pedestal bears a marker that states: “This cannon marks the location of the second line of the Confederate defenses of Richmond.” It also notes that it was placed there in 1938 by the City of Richmond at the request of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society. This society still exists today, but is more commonly associated with the Museum of the Confederacy which operates under the society’s charter.

Like the previously mentioned monument, another cannon on a pedestal is located approximately 150 feet east of the Jefferson Davis memorial. Its pedestal bears a marker which states: “This cannon marks the spot where in 1861 a large earthwork of the inner line of defense was constructed.” This particular recognition was erected in 1917, again with the aid of the city at the request of the society. Both of these cannon point toward the west, from where any invasion would have come.

As one journeys down Monument Avenue, taking in its rich historical memorials, wonderful tree canopy, and unique row houses, it is difficult to even imagine that once, long ago, men and animals labored to build an earthen breastwork to guard the city’s western approaches from an invading army. The time, effort, blood, sweat and tears that must have gone into such an ambitious endeavor cannot be overestimated. However, with the exception of a few maps made during or shortly after the war, there is nothing left to see of this portion of the defensive lines around Richmond – the cannon will never belch forth the flames of death and destruction, but as long as there are joggers or walkers who glance upon them and read the words, they will be there to remind us that it was “on this spot” that a small portion of history was written, often overlooked, but never entirely forgotten.