Virginia Women's Monument facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virginia Women's Monument

Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates	37°32′22″N 77°26′4″W / 37.53944°N 77.43444°W / 37.53944; -77.43444
Location	1000 Bank St, Richmond, VA 23219
Material	Granite, bronze, glass
Opening date	October 14, 2019
Dedicated to	Contributions of women throughout Virginia history

The Virginia Women's Monument is a special memorial in Richmond, Virginia. It celebrates the amazing things women from Virginia have done throughout history. This includes their impact on both Virginia and the United States.

You can find the monument on the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol. Its full name is Voices from the Garden: The Virginia Women's Monument. It has life-sized bronze statues of seven important Virginia women. These statues are placed in a small plaza made of granite.

The idea for this monument came about in 2009. The Virginia General Assembly officially approved it in 2010. A group of 18 people, with help from historians, chose the women to be honored. The statues were made by StudioEIS in Brooklyn, New York. The granite plaza and a special "Wall of Honor" opened in October 2018. The monument was officially shown to the public with its first seven statues on October 14, 2019.

The women currently honored with statues are:

• Cockacoeske, a leader of the Pamunkey tribe.
• Anne Burras Laydon, an early settler in Jamestown.
• Mary Draper Ingles, a famous frontierswoman and American pioneer.
• Elizabeth Keckley, a talented seamstress and friend of Mary Todd Lincoln.
• Laura Copenhaver, a successful business owner.
• Virginia Randolph, an important teacher and educator.
• Adele Goodman Clark, a leader for women's right to vote and an activist.

How the Monument Started

The Idea Behind It

The idea for the Virginia Women's Monument began in 2009. It came from Em Bowles Locker Alsop, who was from Richmond. She was a writer and former actress. Em Alsop talked to her state senator, Walter Stosch, about her idea.

Senator Stosch then introduced a plan in the Virginia General Assembly in 2010. This plan, called Senate Joint Resolution No. 11, created the Virginia Women's Monument Commission. Both parts of the General Assembly, the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia, approved the plan. Em Alsop passed away in 2015, before the monument was first opened.

The resolution explained why the monument was important:

• Women have always been key to society.
• Women of all backgrounds have made huge contributions.
• From the start of Virginia, women's creativity and presence have shaped history.
• However, their efforts often haven't received enough recognition.

So, the resolution decided to create a commission. This group would work to honor Virginia women with a monument on the Capitol Square grounds. The monument was planned to be built using money from private donations, not government funds.

Monument Design and Features

An early drawing of the Virginia Women's Monument.

When finished, the monument will have a total of 12 statues. These statues will represent women from all parts of Virginia. They will show the many achievements of women over 400 years of Virginia's history.

In the middle of the plaza, there is a granite stand. On top of it is a bronze sundial. This sundial has the names of several Virginia towns carved into it. Two benches are placed along the sides of the oval plaza. There are also many glass panels. These panels are called the Wall of Honor. They have the names of more than 200 other important women from Virginia history.

Honored Women: Statues and Wall of Honor

Current Statues

Here are the seven women who currently have statues at the monument:

Honoree	Picture	Lived	Region	Description
Anne Burras Laydon		before c. 1594 - after 1625	Jamestown	An early colonist
Cockacoeske		fl. 1656-1686	Middle Peninsula	A Pamunkey chief
Mary Draper Ingles		1732-1815	New River Valley	A brave Frontierswoman
Elizabeth Keckley		1818-1907	Dinwiddie County	A skilled seamstress and author
Laura E. Copenhaver		1868-1940	Smyth County	An Entrepreneur and church lay leader
Virginia E. Randolph		1870-1958	Henrico County	An important educator
Adèle Clark		1882-1983	Richmond	A suffragist and artist

Wall of Honor

The Wall of Honor lists 230 more women. Their names are etched into the glass panels. The monument commission is still looking for more names to add to this wall.