Final Confederate statues removed from Virginia Capitol Square

Six years ago, the City of Richmond removed a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson on Monument Avenue. Crowds gathered, the sky opened and cheers erupted in the rain. Over the next two years, dozens of statues came down.

But three statues still remained in Richmonders’ frequent public view, since they were on state property, as they were the responsibility of the General Assembly.

In addition to Jackson’s statue, which was unveiled in 1875, contractors removed two others: Gov. William “Extra Billy” Smith, who served before and during the Civil War, and Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire, Jackson’s surgeon.