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Jackson Ward
This area presents a handsome collection of buildings that are graced with some of the finest examples of decorative cast iron in the country. Modern Jackson Ward is an exciting combination of restoration and neglect, careful preservation and impending demolition. The neighborhood was founded because of its proximity to the intersection of the old turnpike Brook Road.
Today, Jackson Ward’s fate is affected by its proximity to the expanding Richmond Convention Center. In the early years of Jackson Ward, the buildings were characterized as being on large lots with many dependencies. Several of the residences built by the largely German and Jewish population during this period include the Adolph Dill house at Clay Street, erected in 1832, 133 W. Jackson Street, built in 1813, and 136-138 West Clay Street, built in 1820.
The period just before the Civil War saw the establishment of a community of free black craftsmen and entrepreneurs in Jackson Ward. During Reconstruction, the area became one of the most successful and influential black communities in America, with segregation dictating the concentration of talent in Jackson Ward. This thriving community coalesced around large and popular churches such as Sixth Mount Zion at 14 East Duval and Ebenezer Baptist on Leigh Street. Black-owned banks and insurance companies sprang up on the streets of Jackson Ward.
Mutual aid societies were established in Jackson Ward after the Civil War. One was the Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers which, by 1907, was the largest black-controlled financial organization in the country. Another major beneficial society was the Independent Order of St. Luke. This very successful organization created a bank, weekly magazine, and assorted commercial enterprises. Maggie Walker became the first woman bank president in the United States when she became head of the St. Luke Penny Bank in 1899. Her home at 110 East Leigh Street has become a National Park Service historical site and a focus of preservation efforts in Jackson Ward.
Jackson Ward became a showplace of Greek Revival and Italianate townhouses during a period of intense development and prosperity. Many of the streets show the same consistency of building scale, an effect that makes for a satisfying and cohesive cityscape. Although Jackson Ward is dotted with low warehouses or insensitive modern intrusions, stretches of the neighborhood, like elm-shaded Clay Street, still present a vision of urban Richmond at its finest. Important municipal buildings remain among the residential and commercial structures that bear testimony to Jackson Ward’s rich history. Steamer Company No. 5, at 200 West Marshall Street (1883) now serves as the Virginia Fire and Police Museum. At 122 West Leigh Street is an important structure of enormous historic and social significance to Jackson Ward. This is the First Battalion Virginia Volunteers armory (1885), a rare example of crenellated (castle-like) Victorian decoration. The Volunteers building is one of the few surviving armories in Richmond, and it is the oldest armory building in Virginia. The fact it was built for a local black military unit makes the Volunteers armory critical to the history of Jackson Ward and its people. After years of neglect, this wonderful old building awaits as restoration suitable to its unique style and character.
Jackson Ward remains a unique residential island in the center of downtown Richmond. The restoration of so many of the homes in the area has created momentum for an exciting future for this old and historic neighborhood.