East Marshall Street Well Project Memorial Burial Interment
The East Marshall Street Well Project addresses the discovery of human remains and artifacts from the 19th century that were found in an abandoned well on VCU’s University Medical Center Campus in 1994 while preparing for the construction of the Kontos building. The well’s contents are believed to have been discarded in the 1800s by medical staff. Following their discovery, the ancestral remains were taken to the Smithsonian Institution where they stayed until November 2019 when they were returned to Richmond and the care of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The construction of the East Marshall Street Well Project Memorial marks the culmination of a process with the community that provides the remains with appropriate study, memorialization and reburial.
The East Marshall Street Well Project Memorial Burial Interment will cover approximately 2,700 square feet at the south end of the plaza between the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building and the Egyptian Building on VCU’s MCV Campus.
The memorial is based on recommendations made by the Family Representative Council (FRC), a body representing the unnamed individuals discovered in the well. A full history of the East Marshall Street Well Project and additional recommendations made by the FRC is available at emsw.vcu.edu.
Project status: Pre-planning phase of study
Location: South end of the plaza between the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building and the Egyptian Building on VCU’s MCV Campus
Where it is on the Six-Year Capital Plan: Second biennium (2026-2028)
Funding source: MCV Foundation support, VCU non-Education & General funds, and VCU Health System funds
Pre-planning consultant: Baskervill and Waterstreet Studio
It is important to note that undertaking a pre-planning study does not guarantee that a particular project will come to fruition. Issues such as funding availability or a shift in priorities can delay or even cancel a project from becoming a reality.
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