Overview
- Crews removed statues of Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Gov. William "Extra Billy" Smith, and surgeon Dr. Hunter Holmes McGuire from Capitol Square on Friday, ending more than a century of those monuments on the statehouse grounds.
- The removals were carried out under a directive written into the 2026 state budget after a standalone removal bill stalled in the House, giving the Department of General Services formal authority and funding to take the statues down.
- The state transferred ownership of the sculptures to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, which says it will preserve the works and relocate them to battlefield sites in the Shenandoah Valley.
- Supporters of the action say it changes who is publicly venerated without erasing the Civil War record, while conservative commentators and some heritage groups argue the move overlooks figures like McGuire whose work had wider historical impact.
- The removals are part of a years-long reevaluation of Confederate memorials in Richmond and could shape future decisions about public monuments, public-lands displays, and how states pair preservation with changes in public honor.