Accomplished sculptor Leslie Garland Bolling's grave uncovered at Henrico cemetery
A decades-long mystery at Woodland Cemetery in Henrico has finally been solved with the discovery of Leslie Garland Bolling's grave, an artist with Richmond roots whose work graces some of America's most prestigious museums.
Henrico County History Specialist and Woodland volunteer Mark Shubert has been searching for Mr. Bolling across the sprawling 33 acres.
“We weren’t sure if he was here," Shubert said. "We had probed this plot many times. We just never found his headstone."
Bolling, who died in 1955, carved himself a lasting legacy.
“He had a scroll saw and device and pocket knives. That is all he worked with,” said Shubert. “He was driven by what inspired him at that time.”
With a block of wood, Bolling carved individuals often overlooked during the era of Jim Crow.
“They depict that life in Jackson Ward. That vibrant Harlem of the South and Black Wall Street. The day-to-day lives of the people that live there,” Shubert said.
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