Thread by @RVAdirt

We are loaded up for the @theValentineRVA’s Monumental bus tour! Let’s start with context of demographics. Approximately 40-45 people on board. I see about 3 people who are under 50 (2 of them is). Majority of bus is white. Approx. 3 people of color. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Tour guide states they will talk about history of monuments and context they went up in. Clear there will be no debates about what should happen to the monuments. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Just past 1790 house of John Marshall (Chief Justice of Supreme Court) is a Monument to the John Marshall Core of Cadets which was predecessor of ROTC. On site of former John Marshall High School. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

At Broad and Adams: Maggie Walker Statue. Born in #RVA just after Civil War. Leader of African American community in Jackson award. Black Richmonders couldn’t do business w/ White Richmonders. She was first woman bank president. St. Luke’s Penny Savings. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

MLW Statue is 10ft tall, dedicated a year ago, and surrounded by inscriptions about her life. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

MLW Statue is an example of issues around a location of where to place the statue.... #FLASHBACK.... “the tree.” In her hand she is holding a bank book from St. Luke’s. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Shiiiiittt MLW is beautiful. Thicc & beautiful. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Pulling up on Bill Bojangles Statue. He broke racial barriers as a performer. He is tap dancing on stairs. It was placed 40 years ago and the location was chosen because he donated $ for a stoplight at intersection to keep kids safe. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Apparently the fountain just past him was placed for horses to drink from. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Heading over to Monument Ave but starting with some background. Tour guide says these are not Civil War statues. These are statues that are a product of the lost cause. Difference is Civil War statues were put up right after the war and were mostly in cemeteries. #MonumentalRVA

Lost Cause statues were put up in Jim Crow era. They had a message for white people that their ancestor’s cause was just and it will rise again. The message for black people was don’t forget your place. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Monument Ave was originally only designed for Lee Statue. Lee died in 1870 and over next 20 years they had a fundraising campaign. Developer gave plot of land for the statue, he owned a bunch over there. People wanted to live near the statues. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Due to recession, development didn’t start until 1902. Things booked in 1907 when Stuart went up. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Maury was supposed to go up in DC but even though it’s not overtly a confederate statue, once they found out his confederate past, they said no way in hell is that going on federal land. So it came to Richmond. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Here is my photo of the Stuart statue. I could take far more majestic photos but this seems to sum it up pretty well. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Lee statue is tallest in the city. He is 14ft tall but whole thing is 60ft tall. #RVAButts #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

When Lee went up there were concerns it would leave reminder of treason and blood. Noted bag African American labor was used to put it up. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Taking a quick detour to look at a statue that goes back to colonial era. First Regiment Statue. It’s in a “pocket park.” Honors first regiment of VA. George Washington and Patrick Henry were in it.

Turns out... that’s not Daniel Boone. The more you know #MonumentalRVA

One way you can tell these are Lost Cause statues is by who isn’t on Monument Avenue. General George Thomas & General Winfield Scott aren’t up even though they were successful generals from Virginia b/c they were Union general. Doesn’t fit narrative of lost cause. #MonumentalRVA

Davis is next Statue. Considered most controversial statue. At the top is a figure that basically stands for vindication AKA... the south and its cause of white supremacy will be vindicated. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Quote on it is from his speech when VA left the Union. In speech he defended slavery. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Jackson’s statue faces North b/c he would never keep his eye off the enemy. I can’t y’all. I really can’t. 🙄
#MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Now we are onto Maury. Pathfinder of the Sea and Father of modern Oceanography. There is an octopus 🐙 tentacle coming out of his pockets. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

The O.G. Wocket in a Pocket. #DrSuess

OH. Well then. Arthur Ashe apparently had input into he design of his monument.... the reason the book is raised up like it’s about to rain down hellfire on kids is because he wanted people to know education is more important than sports. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

At the time it was controversial to put him here. Family wanted him to be at sports hall of fame. Some people even asked why they would put a winner on an avenue of losers. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

But #RVACouncil decided it would be a real bad look to not put someone internationally recognized on Monument Ave. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Someone asked why his statue wouldn’t be at Byrd Park. One reason may be that he couldn’t play at Byrd Park because he was black. He left #RVA so he could actually have tennis courts to play at. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

When famous people came to #RVA like Queen Elizabeth during her first visit and Winston Churchill came to town, they took them down Monument Ave. They actually came in at Broad St Station but took them down Monument. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

As a reaction to the civil rights movement, #RVACouncil tried to erect 7 more confederate statues were proposed. But what happened was Salvador Dali designed a Sally Thompkins statue and it was@the wildest shit ever b/c... well... Dali... so that ended that. #MonumentalRVA

This is Arnold’s picket. There’s some false info like wrong date on this one. More about memory and story than history. #MonumentalRVA

And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street! #DrSuess 🧜🏻‍♀️

Going to Byrd Park. Columbus Statue here was out up during high time of anti-immigrant and anti-Italian sentiment. It was out up to remind people about contributions immigrants made to America.... you know.... like how Columbus brought death and disease to natives. #MonumentalRVA

Columbus Statue here was first one for him in the south. Also first illuminated monument in #RVA. Paid for by Italian immigrants. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Drove past a WW1 city monument. African American soldier names are listed after white soldier names. #RacismEverywhere #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Carillon is the STATE WW1 monument. Was supposed to be a temple.... people wanted bells. There was a reflecting pool they excavated for but never finished. Postcards from the era show the pool 🏊‍♀️. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There were 66 bells with 53 notes. Some bells had duplicate notes to make sound louder. Now there are 53 bells with 53 notes because well.... #efficiency? #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Cop statue is one that’s been moved. Originally was near coliseum but got moved. It memorializes the 28 Richmond Police officers killed between 1863-2003. That’s 140 years y’all. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There’s a fountain in Byrd park that was put up b/c people thought with more water available, men wouldn’t drink as much. They went around to all the salons and prayed over them for owners to stop selling liquor. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. #BreweriesEverywhere #MonumentalRVA

Now we are near the paddle boats where @AlexWhittler almost got attacked by pigeons. Can we get a monument up nearby for her valient news reporting effort? 😂❤️🧜🏻‍♀️ #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Tour guide is talking about how monuments used to be put up based on who had hella fans to pay for it. You got the money.... they would find a place. Now it is reverse order of operations. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Apparently sons of confederate veterans were pissy about the Lincoln Statue w/ kids at Tredegar so they raised money for a Davis Statue w/ kids. It was 2 kids, one was black. Never proved documentation that the kid was actually his.

#MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

They offered it up to American Civil War Museum with stipulation that it be placed next to Lincoln because like LOOK! They both have their kids and one of his is black. Sooooo this is cool right? Naw. Not at all. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Museum said they would accept it but weren’t willing to commit to how it would be used or where it would be placed. They thought it would be a good piece for an exhibit about myths of the civil war. Sons of confederate veterans didn’t appreciate that. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Statue is now at his last home in Mississippi. Yeah, that’s Davis and his son... and alleged adopted black son that no one ever actually proved with any type of documents was adopted by him. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There’s a pretty cool Dooley monument near Maymont Park that teaches you how to use a sundial. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There are more confederate soldiers buried at Oakwood than Hollywood Cemetery. Halfway driving by the confederate pyramid. It’s a 90 ft tall. Dedicated in 1869 right after war. THIS would be considered a Civil War, not a Lost Cause Monument. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There’s a bench in Hollywood Cemetery that’s more tied to the fictionalized Gettysburg story than the actual story. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There’s a monument at the Cathedral of Sacred Heart for millions of Jewish children killed in Holocaust and those who never existed because of the genocide. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There’s hella monuments in Monroe Park but we can’t go into it because the assholes towering over the park like to think of it as their backyard and didn’t appreciate homeless people there so it’s still fenced off as they make renovations to improve “their” backyard. 🙄🧜🏻‍♀️

We are going down toward State Capitol. Currently a statue being built to commemorate women’s voices. Will have 12 women. Newest monument is Mantle. A tribute for Virginia native peoples. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

The black obelisk at the state Capitol is the zero mile marker for the city. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Also at state Capitol is the Barbara Johns statue which commemorates the fight for separate but equal schools. Happens to be next to ardent racist and segregationist Harry Flood Byrd. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Statue of Hunter Holmes McGuire is the dude who amputated Stonewall Jackson’s arm. His statue is right by Stonewall Jackson statue. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Awwwwww fountain for horses and animal lovers. Apparently a Richmond Christmas tradition is get your animals blessed down here. 🤷🏻‍♀️

#MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Someone just asked if this is where slave trading happened. Yes. Shockoe Slip was the 2nd biggest slave trading area in the south. 2nd only to New Orleans. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Richmond’s Unicorn Horn or a Statue to the Statute for Religious Freedom? You be the judge. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Not much left of slave trading blocks down here. There’s some minor excavation of Devil’s Half Acre that had to happen because VCU had paved over it for a parking lot. There are also the African Burial Grounds.

#MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Going over to Libby Hill Park aka the View that Named Richmond. Also beginning of Liberty Trail that is 6.2 miles. Modeled after Boston’s freedom trail. Designated by blue spray painted logos in sidewalks. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

At Franklin and 29th there’s a house with a Trump campaign sign in the window still. Just FYI. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Libby Hill has this massive ass stone to honor Thomas Francis “Mongo” McMahon who was a patrolman in the area that was shot and killed. He played harmonica and loved tacky lights. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Also there’s this lost cause Monument at Libby Hill for soldiers and sailors. I am pretty there for this being the first photo that comes up on google. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Apparently Chimborazo is named after a volcano is Ecuador and someone saw the hill and said it looks like it.... kind of. Soooo let’s call it that. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Omg. We have to get off this bus for the last 3 in the Park. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Tour group looks. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Stopping at this 1950 red scare era Statue of Liberty rehash. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

There were a bunch of these out up across the country and paid for by various Boy Scout troops. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

I just sat down on the curb. I’m wearing a skirt. If anyone smells anything burning its my ass meat. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Marker for Chimborazo Hospital. Way for women to be involved in war effort. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Fun fact: the White House of the Confederacy wasn’t called the White House of the Confederacy during the Civil War. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Powhatan Stone. Apparently it’s misleading and has some incorrect facts on it. Basically they mixed up father and son’s deeds. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Guide is pronouncing Powhatan “pow-HAT-an” instead of “Pow-hah-tan.” Trying to decide how this impacts my pronunciation of Powhite. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Guide says a takeaway from the Stone is don’t believe everything you read on a plaque. My takeaway is.... this is why we don’t learn history from monuments. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Headed back to @theValentineRVA. Taking Broad St and driving past Monumental church as the last monument on the tour. It was built on the site of a Richmond theater that suffered a fire in 1811. 22 Richmonders died including enslaved people and sitting Governor. #MonumentalRVA

Their bodies are buried in a crypt at the church. Not much to see crypt-wise.... it’s not part of tours. It’s been decommissioned as a church but it’s open for special occasions and can be used for weddings. #MonumentalRVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

Be sure to check out 🐝’s thread from #MonumentalRVA as well! 🧜🏻‍♀️

https://twitter.com/rvadirt/status/1014556951404056576?s=21

That’s it folks! We are done with the tour but the #MonumentalRVA exhibit is at @theValentineRVA until January. Be sure to check it out and get learnt! #RVA 🧜🏻‍♀️

🐝 #MonumentalRVA @theValentineRVA yeah... Had to drop out due to motion sickness🤢, but 🧜🏻‍♀️ held it down like a BOSS despite impending carpal tunnel surgery 💪