Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy
A historic Richmond, Virginia, building that serves as the national headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and preserves Confederate-era artifacts and commemorative material.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy, also known as the U.D.C. Memorial Building, is a historic building in Richmond, Virginia, associated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy, a hereditary organization founded to commemorate the Confederate States and the women who supported the Confederate cause. The building functions as the organization’s national headquarters and has also served as a repository for historical objects, organizational records, and commemorative material. The building stands at 328 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard on land connected with the former Confederate Soldiers’ Home. The surrounding park was established in 1934 through an act of the Virginia General Assembly. Construction of the present structure took place from 1955 to 1957. Its design is a restrained classical or stripped-classical composition, built principally from Georgia marble and organized as a one-story, three-part structure. The central entrance has a mausoleum-like appearance and incorporates large bronze doors approximately 17 feet high. The doors contain rectangular bronze panels and decorative elements associated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Red Virginia brick is used for the site’s walks. A two-story addition was attached to the rear of the building’s northwest corner in 1996. Interior and associated collections have included memorials to Confederate figures, the women of the Confederacy, and the organization’s co-founders, as well as objects connected with the field headquarters of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library is among the building’s named spaces and reflects the organization’s interest in collecting and preserving material related to Confederate memory and women’s heritage organizations. The property was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Public access is limited and generally takes place on scheduled opening days rather than through unrestricted daily admission. Its historical status is closely tied to the broader preservation and commemoration of Confederate memory, a subject that has become increasingly contested in the United States because of the Confederacy’s defense of slavery and its association with the Civil War. On May 30, 2020, during protests in Richmond following the murder of George Floyd, the building was intentionally set on fire. Firefighters reported that the principal damage was concentrated around the façade and the library area, where curtains were ignited and windows were broken. Nine fire trucks responded, and the fire was extinguished while police maintained a perimeter around the firefighting operation. The structure sustained smoke and water damage in addition to the fire damage, but reports indicated that the incident was largely contained rather than destroying the entire building. The Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy is therefore both an architectural landmark and an institutional site. Its significance derives from its mid-twentieth-century marble architecture, its role as the headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, its collections and memorial program, its National Register listing, and its place in continuing debates over Confederate monuments and historical interpretation.
History
The Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy is a historic building in Richmond, Virginia, that serves as the national headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It is located at 328 North Arthur Ashe Boulevard, on a site associated with a former home for Confederate veterans. The surrounding park was created in 1934 under an act of the Virginia General Assembly. The present building was constructed between 1955 and 1957. It is a one-story, three-part structure designed in a stripped classical style. The building is clad primarily in Georgia marble, while red Virginia brick forms the site walks. Its central entrance was designed with the visual character of a mausoleum and includes a pair of bronze doors approximately 17 feet high. The doors are composed of rectangular bronze panels and incorporate decoration associated with the United Daughters of the Confederacy. A two-story addition was built at the rear of the building’s northwest corner in 1996. The site combines headquarters functions with memorial and collecting purposes. It has included memorials to Confederate figures, the women of the Confederacy, and the organization’s co-founders. It has also held objects associated with Robert E. Lee’s Confederate field headquarters and other material connected with Confederate commemoration. The Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library is a named library space within the building. The building was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Public visitation is limited and is generally available on scheduled days. Its historical interpretation is inseparable from the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s role in preserving Confederate memory and from contemporary debates about the public commemoration of the Confederacy. In the early morning of May 30, 2020, the building was intentionally set on fire during George Floyd-related protests in Richmond. Fire damage was concentrated largely on the façade and in the library area, where curtains were ignited and windows were broken. Firefighters deployed nine trucks and contained the blaze, although the building also suffered smoke and water damage. The incident made the site part of the wider national controversy surrounding Confederate monuments and memorial spaces.
- 2020
Fire during Richmond protests
[1]An intentionally set fire damaged the façade and library area during protests following the murder of George Floyd.
- 2008
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The property was added to the United States National Register of Historic Places.
- 1996
Rear addition completed
[1]A two-story addition was made to the rear of the building’s northwest corner.
- 1957
Building completed
[1]The marble-clad, stripped-classical headquarters and memorial building was completed.
- 1955
Construction begins
[1]Construction of the present Memorial to the Women of the Confederacy building began in Richmond.
- 1934
Park established
[1]The park surrounding the site was created through an act of the Virginia General Assembly.
Products and positioning
A historic headquarters, memorial, archival, and museum-like site centered on the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s commemoration of Confederate-era women, people, and material culture.
Historic headquarters and memorial · 1957
Memorial building and headquarters
The principal offering of the site is not a commercial product but a historic building serving as the national headquarters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Constructed from 1955 to 1957, it uses Georgia marble, bronze entrance doors, red Virginia brick walks, and a restrained classical design. The building supports organizational activities, memorial functions, and limited public visitation.
Library and historical collection
Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library
The Caroline Meriwether Goodlett Library is a named library space associated with the building. It forms part of the site’s collecting and interpretive role, which includes material relating to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Confederate memory, and the women associated with the Confederate cause.
Memorial collection
Confederate memorial and artifact collections
The site has included memorials to Confederate figures, the women of the Confederacy, and the organization’s co-founders. Its holdings have also included objects associated with Robert E. Lee’s field headquarters and other artifacts connected with Confederate commemoration.
Controversies
2020
Arson during George Floyd protests
The building was intentionally set on fire during Richmond protests following the murder of George Floyd. The incident caused fire, smoke, and water damage, with the library and façade among the areas affected. The event reflected the intense public conflict surrounding Confederate monuments and commemorative institutions.
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