Mercer later summarized Northam’s letter, saying the governor feels there is a distinction between teaching the history about Davis at the Casemate Museum “and a memorial on a hill that glorifies and honors an individual we don’t feel is a contributing factor … but we feel takes away from the actual contributing elements and their historic significant.” Mercer said. “When we look at what contributing elements are ... we feel the mid-1950s falls outside the scope of that. It’s not a coincidence this was put up the same year … of Virginia’s massive resistance.… It’s incompatible to have that and tell the story we are charged to tell here.”