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Commision
In 1917, a statue was commissioned to be built by the American investor Paul Goodloe McIntire. He hired American sculptor Henry Shrady to complete the task, although he would never be able to finish it. -
Dedication and erection of monument
Following Henry Shrady's 1922 death due to a chronical illness, Leo Lentelli took over the project and finished the bronze statue in early 1924. On May 21st of that very year, the statue of dedicated to Robert E. Lee, general of the Confederate army during the American Civil War. -
Proposal for removal of statue
In February of 2017, the Charlottesville City Council voted to remove the Robert E. Lee memorial statue from the aptly named Lee Park. Due to controversy, however, the statue's removal was postponed. -
Park Renaming
In June of 2017, the Charlottesville City Council voted to change the name of the memorial park from Lee Park to Memorial Park. In July of 2018, the park's name was again changed to Market Street Park. -
Graffiti on R.E.L. Memorial (Part 1)
The most apparent graffities coating the Robert E. Lee (R.E.L.) Memorial are the George Floyd memorabilia. Following the May 25th tragedy, many people began to voice their prayers publicly both to George himself, as well as his family. -
Graffiti on R.E.L. Memorial (Part 2)
Following the immediate response to the George Floyd tragedy, people began to use the event for propaganda and social protest. Communities such as BLM (Black Lives Matter) rose to prominence and Floyd himself became a martyr nearly overnight. The beginnings of the movement can be seen on the R.E.L. monument. -
Graffiti on R.E.L. Memorial (Part 3)
The final prominent graffiti to appear on the R.E.L. Monument before its removal is that of anti-police and -anti-establishment protest. Due to the police brutality which killed George Floyd, the public began to blame all police departments for treating them and their peers with violent measures. A stand was taken in settings such as Portland, and even in Charlottesville, Virginia, the statue was coated with 'Fuck Police' remarks. -
The Removal
On July 9th, 2021, due to a social movement against Confederate memorabilia, the Charlottesville city council voted to remove the Robert E. Lee Monument from Market Street Park. The very next day, the monument was removed, along with the plentiful graffiti coating its exterior.