Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
June 2025

Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

Barbara Rose Johns Statue Approved by Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol

—The statue of Barbara Rose Johns for the U.S. Capitol will now move forward to the approval phase at the federal level—

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) announced today that the Commission for Historical Statues in the United States Capitol (the Commission) has voted unanimously in its public meeting on June 18, 2025, to approve the statue of civil rights leader Barbara Rose Johns for installation at the U.S. Capitol. After the statue is reviewed at the federal level by the Architect of the Capitol and approved by the Joint Committee on the Library, it is expected to be unveiled as one of Virginia’s two contributions to the Statuary Hall Collection by the end of this year.

Following the public meeting on Wednesday, DHR Director Julie Langan, who serves as an ex-officio member of the Commission, forwarded photos of the statue to the Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for review. After the statue receives final approval from the Joint Committee on the Library, it will be transported from the sculptor’s studio in Maryland to the U.S. Capitol for installation. Langan will work with members of the Johns family and other stakeholders to plan an unveiling ceremony and a reception at the U.S. Capitol. Both the ceremony and reception are tentatively scheduled to take place in November or December of this year.

The Department of Historic Resources, the Commonwealth’s state historic preservation office, provides administrative support to the Commission. Questions concerning the Commission, its purpose, and its decision-making process regarding the Barbara Rose Johns statue for the U.S. Capitol should be directed to the department. To learn more, visit the Commission’s webpage.

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