RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 9 (UPI) -- An 1861 Confederate battle flag hanging in the Virginia House of Delegates will be left out of a new exhibit gallery in the capitol.
It will be replaced by an 1863 flag that covered the coffin of Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, The Washington Times reported Sunday. The change is part of a $205 million, two-year renovation designed to restore the building to its 19th century appearance.
Under the new plan -- which represents a compromise between groups that wanted the flag displayed and those who wanted it removed -- the gallery will include the 1863 flag, an early version of the American flag, an 1865 Virginia state flag, a current American flag and a current Virginia state flag.
Lawmakers have not yet decided what will happen to the 1861 flag, the Times said.
The decision was made by House Speaker William J. Howell, a Republican from Stafford, based on a committee’s recommendation.
A statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and a bust of Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederate states, will remain in the House chamber.
