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Washington and Lee’s University Chapel reopens to the public today, Sept. 6, after being closed over the summer for construction of a partial wall separating the main space from recumbent statue of Robert E. Lee located in the annex.
Construction of the partition was announced in 2021, and began this spring after several delays.
The university’s original plan, to construct a full wall separating the chapel from its annex, was struck down by permitting authorities, who decided it would dangerously limit the number of exits in a potential evacuation.
After multiple permit denials, the university and the city settled on a partial, freestanding wall, which will provide visual separation while still allowing people to move between the chapel and annex.
As it stands, this partition blocks the view from the auditorium to the statue of the Confederate general and post- Civil War Washington College president.
The renovation of the chapel is part of the university’s efforts in recent years to address the school’s ties to the Confederacy and slavery, efforts that have proven controversial.
While a petition to change the name of the school was rejected by a 22-6 vote of the board of trustees in 2021, other changes have been made, several involving the chapel.
The former Lee Chapel was renamed University Chapel in 2021, and artifacts, including portraits of George Washington and Robert E. Lee and replica Confederate flags, have been removed from display.
Mike McAlevey, on behalf of the board, explained its reasoning for these changes in a statement released last Monday, Aug. 25.
“Our approach is grounded in the Board’s view that Washington and Lee University is an educational institution whose campus is neither a museum nor an appropriate repository for Confederate artifacts,” he wrote.
“We have outstanding museums and exhibit spaces where these artifacts are being placed in context and contribute to a fuller understanding of the history that gave rise to them.”
Changes to the chapel have been criticized by some, most notably by the General’s Redoubt, an organization started in 2018 to “reestablish institutions and leaders of Washington and Lee University which reflect our community’s best values and traditions,” according to its vision statement.
The Generals Redoubt published an open letter to W&L’s board of trustees this past Friday, writing, “Lee is what makes the W&L brand so unique and special. We can (and should) celebrate Lee without celebrating the Confederacy or slavery or racism or the Lost Cause.”
“Unless the Board of Trustees reverses course soon, they run the risk of making W&L the Bud Light of higher education. Go woke, go broke,” the letter continues, citing rescinded donations from alumni unhappy with the decision.
McAlevey acknowledged such dissent in his most recent statement, asking for a more nuanced discussion of the issues.
“Although some claim that the Board’s actions, including renaming or renovating some buildings and relocating some artifacts like plaques and portraits to museum spaces, are an attempt to erase or hide parts of the University’s history, this is not the case,” he wrote.
“We have not destroyed artifacts, nor have we removed all references to our namesakes from our campus. Rather, we have sought to portray the notable contributions of these men accurately and to expand our presentations of the university’s rich and complicated history in the service of our educational mission.”
As part of this changing presentation, W&L is in the process of developing a Museum of Institutional History, which will house artifacts moved from the chapel and other campus buildings.
“This museum will expand our capacity to educate the community and the public on the many chapters of Washington & Lee University and our connections to the history of our nation,” McAlevey explained in his statement.
A working group was established in late 2022 to begin planning the museum, and architectural and consulting firms Quinn Evans and Gallagher and Associates have been chosen to assist with the project.
The university is currently in the process of selecting a location for the museum, and plans to begin soliciting feedback from external historians and W&L community members early next year, said McAlevey.
He noted the school has already received “significant gift commitments” in support of the museum.
