The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site is a

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

and a National Historic Site located at 110½ E. Leigh Street on "Quality Row" in the

Jackson Ward Jackson Ward is a historically African-American district in Richmond, Virginia with a long tradition of African-American businesses. It is located less than a mile from the Virginia State Capitol, sitting to the west of Court End and north of Broa ...

neighborhood of

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

. The site was designated a U.S.

in 1975. The National Historic Site was established in 1978 to tell the story of the life and work of

Maggie L. Walker Maggie Lena (née Draper Mitchell) Walker (July 15, 1864 – December 15, 1934) was a businesswoman and teacher. In 1903, Walker became both the first African American woman to charter a bank and the first African American woman to serve as ...

(1867-1934), the first woman to serve as president of a

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

in the United States. It was built by George W. Boyd, father of physician, Sarah Garland Boyd Jones. The historic site protects the restored and originally furnished home of Walker. Tours of the home are offered by

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

rangers.

Description

The Maggie Walker NHS is located north of downtown Richmond, in the city's historically black

neighborhood. It consists of six buildings on the north side of East Leigh Street, including 110 A E. Leigh Street, 112 E. Leigh Street, 114 East Leigh Street, 600 North 2nd Street, and 602 North 2nd Street. Most of these buildings have exteriors reflective of the early 20th century, with their interiors repurposed to house Park Service facilities, including a museum and visitor center, as well as curatorial spaces. The centerpiece of the site is the Maggie Walker House, a two-story Victorian Gothic brick rowhouse located near the center of the block of East Leigh between 1st and 2nd Streets. A Colonial Revival porch with sunroom above covers the front of the house. The interior is furnished with original belongings of Maggie Lena Walker, and period furnishings dating to the 1920s and 1930s. The house, complete with Walker's effects, was donated to the people of the United States by her descendants in 1979.

History

Maggie Walker, the daughter of a slave, was a pioneering African-American businesswoman and civil rights activist. She was an influential member of the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

, and is credited with founding the first African-American, female-owned bank, St. Luke's Penny Bank (long since folded by mergers into other institutions), in 1902. She was also involved in local philanthropic efforts, supporting schools for education African-American girls in Richmond.

References

External links

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NPS Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site website
{{authority control Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Historic Sites in Virginia Museums in Richmond, Virginia Historic house museums in Virginia Houses completed in 1909 Walker, Maggie Gothic Revival architecture in Virginia Women's museums in the United States Houses in Richmond, Virginia African-American history in Richmond, Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Richmond, Virginia Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Virginia National Historic Landmarks in Virginia History of women in Virginia African-American historic house museums National Historic Landmark District contributing properties

Description

History

See also

References

External links