Park Archives: Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

In 1901 Maggie Lena Walker boldly presented her community with an idea for economic empowerment: "We need a savings bank, chartered, officered, and run by the men and women of this Order..... Let us have a bank that will take the nickels and turn them into dollars." In 1903 St. Luke Penny Savings Bank opened its doors—the first chartered bank in the United States founded by a black woman. Today it thrives as the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company, the oldest continually operated African American bank in the United States.

Maggie Mitchell was 14 when she joined the local Independent Order of St. Luke. Founded in 1867, this benevolent society aided African Americans in times of illness, old age, and death. In 1899 she was elected Right Worthy Grand Secretary of the national Independent Order of St. Luke and transformed the struggling order into a successful financial organization with her sound fiscal policies and genius for public relations.

All her life Maggie L. Walker spoke out for equal rights and fair employment, especially for women. She worked alongside Mary McLeod Bethune and W.E.B. Du Bois and served on the boards of local and national civic organizations, including the National Association of Colored Women and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Despite humble beginnings and personal tragedies, Mrs. Walker achieved national prominence and respect for her business and humanitarian accomplishments.

1867-1869
Born July 15, 1867 (although some records indicate 1864 or 1865), in Richmond, Va., to Elizabeth Draper, a former slave and servant in Elizabeth Van Lew's home, and Eccles Cuthbert, a white journalist and Confederate soldier; Draper marries William Mitchell, Miss Van Lew's butler.

1876-1878
Helps mother by collecting and delivering laundry to white customers and observes disparate economic opportunities for blacks and whites; attends school; is baptized in First African Baptist Church.

1881-1883
Joins Independent Order of St. Luke (I.O. of St. Luke); protests inequality of white and black graduation ceremonies by participating in a black student school strike, the first such response in the U.S. to unequal treatment; teaches elementary school; studies accounting at night.

1886-1888
Marries Armstead Walker Jr, a brick contractor; leaves teaching; continues activities with I.O. of St. Luke.

1890-1894
Son Russell Eccles Talmage born 1890; son Armstead Mitchell born 1893 (dies at seven months).

1895-1897
Establishes juvenile branch of I.O. of St. Luke; becomes Grand Deputy Matron of the branch; son Melvin DeWitt born 1897.

1899
Elected Right Worthy Grand Secretary of St. Luke, its highest rank (later becomes Secretary-Treasurer); retains position until 1934.

1901-1905
Establishes newspaper, St Luke Herald, 1902; charters St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, 1903, is president until 1931; moves to 110½ East Leigh Street; establishes the St. Luke Emporium, a retail store.

1921
Runs unsuccessfully with John Mitchell on "Lily Black" ticket: he for Virginia's governor, she for superintendent of public instruction.

1923-1927
Receives honorary Masters degree from Virginia Union University; son Russell dies.

1934
Dies in Richmond on December 15 of diabetic gangrene; is buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

Maggie L. Walker was already famous as a dynamic leader in Richmond's black community when she and her family moved to 110½ East Leigh Street in 1905. She had devoted over 20 years to the Independent Order of St. Luke and had founded a newspaper and chartered a bank. Community service and professional success, however, were only part of Mrs. Walker's philosophy for what constituted a full life. She believed that success sprang not only from thriftiness and hard work, but from a commitment to her faith and her family.

Maggie Mitchell joined the First African Baptist church at age 11, and she was inspired by the members who prayed and worked together to uplift their community. Throughout her life she studied the Bible, participated in church activities, and quoted scripture in her writings and speeches.

Her stepfather died when she was nine years old, thrusting the family further into poverty. She worked hard helping her mother, who supported them by taking in laundry. The poverty and daily struggle taught her self-sufficiency and how to deal with tragedy and hardship.

Maggie attended public school in a racially segregated system. The inequity was most apparent during her 1883 graduation from the Colored Normal School, when the graduation facilities offered to blacks were inferior to those used by whites. Maggie's class staged a boycott, possibly the first school strike of the civil rights movement. After graduation Maggie taught elementary school for three years. In 1886 she married Armstead Walker Jr. and retired from teaching as required by Virginia law. The change allowed her to direct her energies toward strengthening the Independent Order of St. Luke and caring for her growing family. In time. Walker's boundless devotion to her work and family rewarded them with financial and social success.

Tragedy struck in 1915 when Armstead was accidently killed, leaving Mrs. Walker to manage a large household. Her investments and hard work kept the family together. The family expanded again when her sons Russell and Melvin married and brought their wives to live at home, where four grandchildren were born. As the family grew, the house grew too—finally to a 28-room complex that all but covered the 33- by 139-foot lot. In 1928 paralysis confined Mrs. Walker to a wheelchair. Undaunted, she added an elevator to the house and altered her car and desks to accommodate the wheelchair.

Maggie Lena Walker died at home on December 15, 1934. Nationally, she was acclaimed as a champion for oppressed blacks and women.

In Richmond she was mourned as a leader who dedicated her life to family and uplifting her community.

1883 The two-story Victorian house with Italianate detailing began with seven rooms.

1890s Robert Jones, a black physician, built rooms and the west wing for a waiting and examination area.

1904-22 Walker converted gas lights to electric, added central heating, a cellar, 12 rooms, and the two-story porch.

Visitor Center
All activities and tours begin at the visitor center at 600 N. 2nd Street. Here you will find information, exhibits, and a short video. A bookstore offers publications and items about Maggie L. Walker and African American culture. The visitor center and house are open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; they are closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.

Guided House Tours
The only way to see the house is with a guide; there is no fee. Tours leave the visitor center every half hour; the last tour begins at 4:30 p.m. A limited number of persons are allowed on each tour, and there may be a waiting period. You may see the film, the courtyard, and other buildings until your tour begins. Group tours require advance reservations; call ahead.

Special Programs
The park offers activities all year. A highlight is the annual birthday celebration for Maggie L. Walker on or about July 15.

Accessibility
The visitor center, courtyard, restrooms, and first floor of the house are accessible for visitors with disabilities.

Safety
Use caution when touring the site. Stairs are steep and narrow—please watch your step. Smoking is not allowed. All historic and natural features are protected by federal law.

Administration
The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site was designated in 1978 as part of the National Park Service. It honors Maggie L Walker's leadership in business that fostered opportunity for blacks and for women.

Getting Here
From I-95 north/I-64 west: take exit 76A (Chamberlayne Parkway); turn left at the light onto Chamberlayne; turn left onto West Leigh St.; go 2½ blocks to the park at 110½ East Leigh St. From I-95 south/I-64 east: take exit 76B (Belvidere); turn left at the stop light onto Leigh St. and go 7½ blocks to the park.

Visiting Historic Jackson Ward
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Richmond's Jackson Ward was one of the most prosperous black communities in the United States. Here, blacks owned and operated banks, insurance companies, retail stores, theaters, and commercial and social institutions. Known as the birthplace of African American entrepreneurship, today this area is one of the nation's largest National Historic Landmark Districts associated with black history and culture.

You can enjoy a walking or driving tour of Jackson Ward that highlights important sites, including the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site, 110½ E. Leigh St.; Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, 00 Clay Street; and the Bojangles monument at the intersection of Chamberlayne Parkway, Leigh, and Adams.

The contents of brochures, site bulletins and trading cards (denoted with a colored caption) can be viewed by clicking on the cover. Most modern-day brochures, however, are cover only (denoted by a white caption) due to photograph copyrights. These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning. The dates under each brochure do not reflect the complete range of years that a particular brochure was issued.

1980		Date Unknown, c1970s		cover only 1995
cover only 2000		2000-2005		2006-2019

Date Unknown	Date Unknown		cover only St. Luke Hall Date Unknown
Trading Cards