Additional Coverage:
- VCU to create memorial for people, most of African descent, whose remains were dumped in a well (apnews.com)
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is set to invest $3.6 million in a memorial dedicated to honoring dozens of individuals-mostly of African descent-whose bodies were exhumed from their graves, dissected by medical students, and then discarded in a neglected well over a century ago.
The university’s board of visitors approved funding last Friday for the East Marshall Street Well Project, an initiative aimed at addressing these historical injustices. Construction of the memorial and burial site is slated to begin in the summer of 2027.
“Years ago, VCU began this important journey recognizing our profound obligation to restore the human dignity of those who were denied respect in life and death,” said VCU President Michael Rao. “The East Marshall Street Well Project’s sacred mission is to ensure every life is honored with the permanence and reverence they deserve.”
The planned memorial will feature a circular design centered around a “unity chamber,” inspired by the Toguna structures of the Dogon culture in West Africa. Stephen Davenport, assistant vice president for social and economic development at VCU and the project’s administrative lead, explained that the low-roofed chamber is designed to foster humility and thoughtful reflection through seated discussion.
The discovery of the remains dates back to 1994, when construction workers at the Kontos Medical Sciences Building on the VCU medical campus uncovered a brick-lined well filled with human bones. Alongside skeletal remains, researchers found hair, skin fragments, remnants of leather shoes, and glass bottles. Archival records from the Medical College of Virginia suggest the bodies were deposited in the well between the 1840s and 1860s.
A preliminary anthropological study indicated signs of postmortem dissection and amputation, consistent with anatomical and surgical training practices of the time. Researchers noted, “The constant demand for cadavers led to routine grave robbing, primarily targeting African American burial grounds to supply the medical school.”
Following the discovery, archaeologists had limited time to examine the site before construction resumed. The remains were excavated by heavy machinery and transferred to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Initial estimates identified at least 44 adults and nine children among the recovered remains.
Renewed interest emerged in 2011 after a VCU professor released a film on the subject, alongside a report by two forensic anthropologists. A DNA analysis published earlier this year identified at least 43 unique adults and three juveniles, predominantly of African heritage-most likely from Central-West Africa-with some showing traces of European ancestry.
The skeletal examination revealed evidence of the strenuous labor these individuals endured during their lives and underscored the profound disrespect shown to their remains after death.
Through the East Marshall Street Well Project, VCU aims to offer a lasting tribute that acknowledges this painful chapter in history while honoring the dignity of those whose lives and bodies were exploited.