LEE CHAPEL & MUSEUM

Created under the name of Augusta Academy in 1749, the University has changed its name several times. When George Washigton made a $20,000 donation in 1776, it was renamed the Washington Academy. Then, Confederate General Lee became president in 1865 and upon his death, the one that was once renamed Washington College took the definitive name Washington and Lee University. At a time when the statues of the Confederate soldiers are being unrolled and the symbolism of the Confederate monuments and names is being questioned, the name of the university is, of course, controversial. Some students think that the university should cut more with Lee's legacy and go so far as to recommend that it change its name. But this opinion is not shared by everyone, let us remember that the university is very conservative. However, in 2014, Confederate flags were removed from the university after a demonstration by African-American students denouncing the difficulty of integration for minorities.

Construction of the chapel began in 1867 at the request of Robert E. Lee, who, at the end of the Civil War (1865), served until 1870 as president of what was then Washington College. The chapel was completed in 1868. His son, George Washington Custis Lee, may have proposed the Victorian design of the building. The lower level housed several offices, including Lee's, which is now part of the tour. Upon his death, Robert E. Lee's body was buried under the chapel, before the crypt was built. He is now buried there with several members of his family, including his wife and seven children. The museum houses permanent and temporary exhibitions related to the site, George Washington Custis Lee and Robert E. Lee. Many ceremonies are celebrated in the chapel, including lavish weddings.