Long hailed as a supreme example of American city planning, Monument Avenue is home to some of Richmond, Virginia's, most prestigious houses and distinguished architecture--and to the unique procession of statues from which the street takes its name. Initially planned in 1890 around a memorial to Robert E. Lee, over the next four decades the avenue evolved into a parade of statues honoring heroes of the Confederacy. In the mid-1990s, however, the dedication of a controversial memorial to African American tennis player Arthur Ashe signaled that Monument Avenue's meaning had broadened beyond commemorating the Lost Cause.
This book traces the history of Monument Avenue, of its buildings and statuary, and of the people who helped create one of America's great streets. Enriched by more than three hundred photographs, plans, and drawings, it chronicles the avenue's development, captures architectural details and city preservation efforts, and places the avenue's story in local, regional, and national context.
Built to reflect the hopes and attitudes of Richmonders at the turn of the last century, Monument Avenue exists nearly intact today as the centerpiece of a flourishing neighborhood, even as its meaning continues to be redefined.
