SMHS Ceremony Recognizes Donors For Stuart Statue Restoration

By Ben Trittipoe · Originally published July 2016 · p. 59

The Stuart-Mosby Historical Society held a ceremony on Saturday, May 14, 2016, to recognize and thank the donors for the restoration of the J.E.B. Stuart Statue on Monument Avenue in Richmond.

J.E.B. Stuart Monument.

J.E.B. Stuart Monument. The ceremony was held at St. John’s United Church of Christ on Stuart Circle, with the restored statue sitting just outside its doors. Mr. Ben Trittipoe, President of the Stuart-Mosby Historical Society, welcomed the attendees before inviting Past President Mrs. Susan Hillier to the podium. Mrs. Hillier provided a recap of how the Society became involved in the restoration of the statue, which was originally unveiled on May 30, 1907. She also presented the Society with a book containing the address given by Theodore S. Garnett, Stuart’s aidede-camp, at the unveiling. This book will be displayed at the Stuart-Mosby Civil War Cavalry Museum in Centreville, Va. Mrs. Hillier then introduced Mr. Steve Roy, who led the restoration of the statue, and he discussed the repairs done and the process of restoring the Stuart Statue to its original glory. Mr. Roy and his partner, Mr. Andrew Baxter, have restored many of the prominent monuments in Richmond, including the Washington statue at the State Capitol, and several on Monument Avenue. Mr. Roy discussed how periodic maintenance projects on the statue would keep it preserved for quite a long time before a full restoration would be necessary again. Mr. Trittipoe announced the excess funds collected would be placed in a fund to go toward these future maintenance projects, and further fund-raising efforts would be announced in the near-future. The featured speaker of the day was Mr. Wayne Jones, who performs living-history presentations as J.E.B. Stuart. Jones spoke as the “Spirit” of Gen. Stuart and reflected on how Stuart would have appreciated the original dedication of the memorial

Lei Hillier as John Singleton Mosby and Wayne Jones as JEB Stuart. (All photos Janet Greentree)

Ben Trittipoe, President of the Society.

to him and this current restoration of the statue. The ceremony included a reading of the names of all 65 individuals and 15 organizations that made donations to the restoration. It concluded with the attendees leaving the church and joining Bishop Dennis Campbell in a blessing to rededicate the statue. Attendees then adjourned to a luncheon at the Capital Ale House in downtown Richmond.

Group shot of the attendees in front of the Stuart Statue.