RICHMOND, Va, —Richmond's last remaining Confederate statue is coming down.
The monument honoring Confederate General A.P. Hill was erected in 1891, now at the intersection of Hermitage and Laburnum Avenue. On Monday, December 12, the removal process will begin.
Michael Dorman was one of several people who traveled to the monument on Sunday afternoon to photograph the statue before its removal.
"Everything evolves, everything changes. Some things are just for the better, some things aren't. That's just the way progress goes," Dorman said.
The road to removal did not come without a fight from Hill's family.
While Hill's remains will be sent to Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper, the family argued that the statue portion of the monument was a grave marker, making it personal property.
However, in October, a Richmond Circuit Court Judge ruled that the city could call the shots on where the statue will go. City leaders asked for it to be placed in the Black History Museum, alongside other Confederate monuments.
"I'm glad for the day and the moment to come where we can just put this to rest," said Richmond City Council Member Mike Jones told CBS6 on Friday, when the city confirmed the statue would be removed the following Monday. "I think Virginians are all in the same space, where we just wan to move on."
So far this year, according to the DMV's crash report map, there have been at least 6 reported crashes in the area.
The statue's removal may bring relief to drivers and residents.
"Right now, it will probably, definitely be an intersection. But long-term, we're looking at a roundabout, a fountain. I would like a big, huge crosswalk to be there, with artwork from the students," said Richmond Council Member Ann-Fances Lambert, who represents the district.
While the city could not give an exact time for when the removal process would start on Monday, it did confirm that the removal process would take several days.
