Robert Edward Lee Sculpture, Charlottesville, VA
1924 (photos taken 1995)
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This sculpture of Robert E. Lee, by Henry Shrady and Leo Lentelli, was erected in 1924 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The equestrian statue depicts Confederate General Robert E. Lee aboard his horse, Traveller. It was part of a series of sculptures by Members of the National Sculpture Society donated by Paul Goodloe McIntire to the city of Charlottesville, Virginia, and the University of Virginia during the late City Beautiful movement from 1919-1924.
In 2017, Charlottesville's City Council voted to remove the Lee statue. Lawsuits were filed in response, to keep the statue standing. The controversy surrounding the monument gained national attention, and in August 2017, protesters held the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that resulted in violent clashes with counter-protestors and one death. Following several additional years of court battles and a new legal removal process, the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed on July 10, 2021. It was removed on the same day as nearby statues of Stonewall Jackson and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. A statue of George Rogers Clark located on the University of Virginia campus was removed the following day.
These photos are part of materials from the sculpture's registration in the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2017, Charlottesville's City Council voted to remove the Lee statue. Lawsuits were filed in response, to keep the statue standing. The controversy surrounding the monument gained national attention, and in August 2017, protesters held the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that resulted in violent clashes with counter-protestors and one death. Following several additional years of court battles and a new legal removal process, the statue of Robert E. Lee was removed on July 10, 2021. It was removed on the same day as nearby statues of Stonewall Jackson and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. A statue of George Rogers Clark located on the University of Virginia campus was removed the following day.
These photos are part of materials from the sculpture's registration in the National Register of Historic Places.
This primary source comes from the Records of the National Park Service.
National Archives Identifier: 41678617
Full Citation: Robert Edward Lee Sculpture, Charlottesville, VA; 1924 (photos taken 1995); National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Virginia; National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017; Records of the National Park Service, Record Group 79; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/robert-e-lee-sculpture-charlottesville-va, March 24, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Memorializing the Civil War Around America
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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