Virginia Women’s Monument Groundbreaking Ceremony
A Long-Awaited Celebration of Virginia Women Is Finally Initiated
The Governor and his fellow cabinet members are beginning the groundbreaking of phase one on a crisp and clear Monday morning. The crowd is intrigued and amazed by the passion of our governor and the Virginia Women’s Commission.
On December 4th 2017 a groundbreaking ceremony for phase one of the Virginia Women’s Monument, also known as Voices from the Garden, took place in Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia. The Virginia Women’s Monument Commission includes many influential people from Virginia’s local government and business organizations. This project was proposed in 2010, approved by the Senate and the House of Delegates in March of the same year, and is projected to be finished on October 14th 2019.
The purpose of this Monument is to honor women who were born in Virginia and have contributed to our nation and its growth. Many people have think that women are underappreciated for their efforts. Fortunately, there are strong and determined women who came together to form this plan to honor females and their accomplishments and significant additions to our world today.
WOW! The seats are filled and Richmond citizens crowd around the ceremony filled with joy and appreciation for the progress of our project.
There are twelve statues of specific, important women that will be placed in the garden, including Ann Burras Laydon, Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, Clementina Bird Rind, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, Sally Louisa Tompkins, Maggie L. Walker, Sarah G. Boyd Jones, Laura Lu Copenhaver, Virginia Estelle Randolph, and Adele Goodman Clark. These women lived all over Virginia and contributed in many different ways. Virginia Randolph was involved with improving education and involving parents and the community more. Maggie L. Walker was the first woman to charter a bank in our country and she founded St. Luke Penny Savings Bank.
Those are only a few important women that gave so much to many communities and our nation as a whole. Important women who aren’t being featured as statues will have their names written on a wall surrounding the garden. The members of our state’s government are all eager for this project to be completed. Our current governor, Terry McAuliffe, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday and expressed his passion and appreciation for this honoring of numerous outstanding women. The former first lady of Virginia, Susan Allen, spoke a few words on the importance of this memorial for young women who will grow up and make their own contributions and differences in our world.