Honey in Hero’s Statue

Many are convinced that bees have been entering the “heroic equestrian” statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond for months, probably producing hundreds of pounds of honey. They worry that “vandal hands” may try to break open the statue to see.

The heroic equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. is believed to have hundreds of pounds of honey concealed inside of it. For months bees have been going in and out of the parted lips of both the human and the animal figure. The insects were first seen there last summer, and doubtless have been making honey ever since. There is no way to get inside either figure without doing irreparable damage, but fear is entertained that vandal hands may make an attempt.

“Honey in Hero’s Statue,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed March 21, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/40.