million contract to a political donor for the removal of the monuments. Monuments Monument Avenue is home to the Arthur Ashe Monument, a memorial to Richmond native Arthur Ashe. Sculpted by Paul DiPasquale, it was unveiled on July 10, 1996. The Avenue previously included several statues dedicated to Confederate military and political figures, including: Robert E. Lee Monument The Robert E. Lee Monument was located in the traffic circle at the intersection of Monument Avenue and Allen Street. Dedicated in 1890, the Lee Monument was the first and the largest of the street's monuments. It was removed on September 8, 2021 by the Commonwealth of Virginia following a state Supreme Court ruling. At the time it was removed, the Lee Statue was the last existing Confederate Monument on Monument Avenue. J.E.B. Stuart Monument The J. E. B. Stuart Monument was located in the traffic circle at the intersection of West Franklin Street and North Lombardy Street. The statue of Stuart was removed by the City of Richmond on July 7, 2020. The empty pedestal stood until February 2022, when it too was removed, and the traffic circle has been made into a garden. Jefferson Davis Memorial The Jefferson Davis Memorial was located at the intersection of Monument Avenue and North Davis Street. The statue was toppled on June 10, 2020, during the protests following the murder of George Floyd. Stonewall Jackson Monument The equestrian statue of Stonewall Jackson was located at the intersection of Monument Avenue and North Boulevard. Mayor Stoney had the monument removed on July 1, 2020. In February 2022 the empty pedestal was removed and the site has been paved over, making it a "normal" traffic junction. Matthew Fontaine Maury Monument The monument of Matthew Fontaine Maury was located on Monument Avenue at Belmont Avenue. The statue of Maury was removed on July 2, 2020, and the globe followed on July 9. The empty pedestal was removed in February 2022 and the site is now a garden. Arthur Ashe Monument Nearly a century after the original monuments were put in place, the Richmond community approved a statue of Arthur Ashe by Paul DiPasquale to be placed on Monument Avenue. The statue's placement lacked a correlation between the tennis star and the Confederate leaders already represented on the Avenue. Some residents thought the monument should be placed at the Arthur Ashe Athletic Center. The monument became a significant