Richmond's Monument Avenue /

Richmond's Monument Avenue is unique in the US with its mile-and-a-half-long sequence of statues and buildings from the 1890s to the 1930s. Authors Driggs (Richmond architectural historian), Wilson (architectural history, Univ. of Virginia), and Winthrop (Virginia architect) present definitive research organized by the avenue's planning and development, sculpture, and buildings. The avenue "engendered controversy" with its statuary, ranging from the Robert E. Lee statue (1890) through the 1996 brouhaha over tennis champion Arthur Ashe's statue. The "political and cultural symbolism" of all six statues is explored. "Monument Avenue" now denotes a neighborhood historic district in a variety of architectural styles of 263 houses and apartment buildings and six places of worship. The final chapter details influence, decline, and enthusiastic recent revitalization. Statues, buildings, and neighborhood are seen as part of the US's architectural heritage. High-quality black-and-white pictures and superb color plates of modern exteriors and interiors plus old photographs of exteriors and interiors; prints and drawings; maps; plans; appendix of buildings with street address, date, original owner, and architect/builder. Extensive notes with bibliographic references. A major contribution to Richmond history and US architecture and sculpture scholarship. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals. W. L. Whitwell formerly, Hollins College