Full Breakdown
Virginia Commonwealth University Approves $3.6 Million Memorial for 19th-Century Human Remains
4/25/2026, 7:57:03 AM
Core Event
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Board of Visitors voted on April 23, 2026, to allocate $3.6 million for a memorial and interment site honoring the human remains uncovered in the East Marshall Street well on the Medical College of Virginia campus. Construction is slated to begin in summer 2027, and the design includes a “unity chamber” inspired by West-African Toguna architecture.
Background & Context
Between the 1840s and 1860s, grave-robbing targeted African-American burial grounds to supply cadavers for anatomical training at the Medical College of Virginia. In 1994, workers excavating the Kontos Medical Sciences Building discovered a brick-lined well filled with bones, hair, skin, leather shoes, and glass bottles. The remains were quickly removed by backhoes and sent to the Smithsonian Institution for study. Renewed interest emerged in 2011 after a documentary and forensic report highlighted the exploitation of Black bodies for medical education.
Key Figures & Groups
- Michael Rao, President, VCU
- Stephen Davenport, Assistant Vice President for Social and Economic Development, VCU Division of Community Engagement (project lead)
- Rhonda Keyes Pleasants, Chair, Family Representative Council (community descendants)
- Kevin Allison, community leader involved in reconciliation
- Family Representative Council, advisory body of community members
- MCV Foundation, VCU Health System, and VCU non-Education & General funds (financiers)
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, custodian of the remains from 1994 until their return in 2019
Timeline
- 1840s-1860s – Grave robbing and disposal of dissected bodies in the well.
- 1994 – Well discovered; remains removed and sent to Smithsonian.
- 2011 – Release of *“Until the Well Runs Dry”* documentary and forensic report.
- 2013 – President Rao creates East Marshall Street Well Planning Committee.
- Nov 25, 2019 – Ancestral remains returned to Richmond from Smithsonian.
- 2021 – Panels installed in Kontos Building to tell the well’s story.
- 2023 – DNA analysis identifies at least 43 adults and three children, predominantly of African ancestry.
- April 2026 – Board approves memorial funding.
- Summer 2027 – Planned start of construction.
Data & Statistics
- Initial archaeological estimate: minimum 44 adults and nine children.
- 2023 DNA analysis: at least 43 adults and three children; two individuals of mixed European-African ancestry, one primarily European.
- Ancestral origins: Central-West Africa and Eurasia.
- Project cost: $3.6 million, funded by the MCV Foundation, VCU non-Education & General funds, and VCU Health System.
Why It Matters / Impact
The memorial confronts a legacy of medical exploitation of Black bodies, restores dignity to unnamed individuals, and provides a tangible site for community reflection and education. It also establishes a model for institutions addressing historical injustices tied to unmarked graves.
Official Statements & Responses
President Rao described VCU’s “profound obligation to restore human dignity” and called the project a “sacred mission” to honor each life with permanence. Davenport emphasized that the design “encourages humility and thoughtful discussion” through its low roof. Pleasants noted that the memorial fulfills the Family Representative Council’s recommendations and offers “satisfaction to the ancestors who have gone before us.” The university acknowledged past insensitivity during the 1994 excavation and pledged ongoing research to illuminate the individuals’ lives.
Criticism & Opposition
VCU publicly recognized that the rapid removal of the remains in 1994 reflected insensitivity toward archaeological and cultural protocols, underscoring the need for reconciliation and more careful handling of such discoveries.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the number of children recovered: the 1994 estimate cites nine, while the 2023 DNA study reports three. The total count of individuals remains approximate, and the presence of additional, undiscovered remains in nearby wells is acknowledged but not quantified.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Years ago, VCU initiated this journey because we recognized a profound obligation to restore the human dignity of the people who were not afforded respect in their physical existence.” — Michael Rao, President, VCU
- “The East Marshall Street Well Project’s sacred mission is to ensure every life is honored with the permanence and reverence they deserve.” — Michael Rao, President, VCU
- “This announcement of plans for the construction of a memorialization and interment site represents forward movement of not only our desire to properly inter the ancestral remains but it also satisfies the recommendations from the Family Representative Council as given in our report,” — Rhonda Keyes Pleasants, Chair, Family Representative Council
- “[The memorial’s design] is intended to encourage humility and thoughtful discussion by purposefully having a low roof to facilitate seated reflection,” — Stephen Davenport, Assistant Vice President, VCU
- “I am deeply moved by the empathetic and dedicated work of the Family Representative Council and community leaders like Kevin Allison and Stephen Davenport, whose commitment has been the heartbeat of this path toward reconciliation,” — Michael Rao, President, VCU
What’s Next
Construction of the memorial and interment site will commence in summer 2027, followed by the dignified burial of the remains. VCU plans to continue DNA-based research, expand community engagement, and explore the possibility of locating additional unmarked burial sites on campus.
