Robert E. Lee Statue Removed From US Capitol

For more than 100 years, two statues representing Virginia have stood at the U.S. Capitol: one of George Washington and another of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

But early Monday, the Lee statue was removed from the National Statuary Hall's collection. It's expected to be replaced by a statue honoring civil rights activist Barbara Johns.

"This is a historic and long-overdue moment for our Commonwealth," U.S. Reps. Donald McEachin and Jennifer Wexton, both Democrats from Virginia, said in a statement. "The Robert E. Lee statue honors a legacy of division,...

The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee inside the U.S. Capitol was removed from the building’s crypt Monday morning and will be relocated to the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

The removal was conducted by staff from the Architect of the Capitol and attended by members of Virginia’s congressional delegation including Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), and a representative from the office of Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.).

A commission established earlier this year by the Virginia General Assembly recommended last week that a statue of...