Jackson Ward
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Jackson Ward Historic District
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| Location | Richmond, Virginia |
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| Coordinates | 37°32′54″N 77°26′27″W / 37.54833°N 77.44083°WCoordinates: 37°32′54″N 77°26′27″W / 37.54833°N 77.44083°W |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Italianate, Late Victorian |
| NRHP Reference # | 76002187 |
| VLR # | 127-0237 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | July 30, 1976 |
| Designated NHLD | June 2, 1978 |
| Designated VLR | April 20, 1976; November 4, 2002; June 1, 2005; March 20, 2008 |
Jackson Ward is a historically African-American neighborhood in Richmond, Virginia with a long tradition of African-American businesses. It is located less than a mile from the Virginia State Capitol. It sits to the west of Court End and north of Broad Street. It was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 1978. "Jackson Ward" was originally the name of the area's political district within the city, or ward, from 1871 to 1905, yet has remained in use long after losing its original meaning.
After the American Civil War, previously free blacks joined freed slaves and their descendants and created a thriving African-American business community, and became known as the "Black Wall Street of America." Leaders included such influential people as John Mitchell, Jr., editor of the Richmond Planet, an African American newspaper, and Maggie L. Walker. Ms. Walker was the first woman to charter and serve as president of an American bank, all the more remarkable an accomplishment as she was both African-American and was mobility-impaired. The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site at her former Jackson Ward home is operated by the National Park Service. The house was designated a National Historic Site in 1978 and was opened as a museum in 1985.
As a center for both black commerce and entertainment, Jackson Ward was also called the "Harlem of the South". Venues along "The Deuce " (2nd Street) such as the Hippodrome Theater were frequented by the likes of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole , James Brown and other Chitlin' circuit performers. Today, a statue of Robinson dancing on a staircase is at the center of the neighborhood at the intersection of Chamberlayne Parkway and West Leigh Street.
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