jackson ward's Gilpin Court

Historic Jackson Ward is affectionately known as the "Harlem of the South" and “Black Wall Street” was named after James E. Jackson, the son of one of Richmond’s first Black pharmacists. Jackson Ward was thriving cultural hub of successful artisans, musicians, entrepreneurs, and professionals, who amassed both wealth and political power within just a few square miles. Notable figures who lived in the community are Maggie L. Walker, a social justice advocate and the nation's first African American woman to charter a bank and serve as its president. John Mitchell, Jr., a civil rights activist, owner of Mitchell's Mechanical Bank, city councilman, and editor of The Richmond Planet.

The iconic Luther Robinson (aka Bill "Bojangles" Robinson), who perfected the "stair dance" also made appearances on Broadway and television acting alongside Shirley Temple. Dr. Sarah Garland Boyd Jones was the first African American and first woman to pass the Virginia Medical Examining Board's examination. She and her husband, Dr. Miles Jones lived at 908 North Third Street. Unfortunately, many estates like the Jones’ were destroyed buy “urbanization” more commonly known as gentrification. After several failed attempts to dislocate families and destroy generational wealth, the city government was able to push through their agenda in 1955 by inserting interstates 95 and 64 right through Jackson Ward, separating it from Gilpin Court. The city is currently working to try and correct the disruption with a bridge that “reconnects” Gilpin to Jackson Ward.

Gilpin Court was named after African American actor, Charles Sydney Gilpin. The Courts (Creighton, Mosby, Whitcomb, Fairfield, Gilpin, and Hillside) were built to provide low-income housing to African Americans during the Great Depression (Hillside was built for poor whites). Reclaiming Our Time worked with the following family names in Gilpin:

Anderson Barbour Brown Bryant Huggins

Clay Durant Gilbert Cotman

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