Richmond writer promotes city’s forgotten neighborhoods

VCU alumni Selden Richardson wants to “bring increased knowledge to fragile Richmond neighborhoods.”

His new book, “Built by Blacks,” is doing just that. The book, released Dec. 19, 2006 has already become a local best seller.

Richardson was in town Wednesday for a book signing and discussion at VCU’s James Branch Cabell Library.

Richardson spoke to a packed house of students, professors and the general public about historic black neighborhoods in Richmond. He also spoke about buildings that have either been destroyed, or are falling apart.

Richardson talked specifically about the neighborhood of Jackson Ward, a hidden gem that symbolized the growth of black architecture and prosperity.

This rich historic neighborhood holds the 1880 Maggie Walker House and the 1905 mansion of Rev. W.L. Taylor, named the Elk’s Lodge. The area also has hundreds of other forgotten buildings.

He says many students have probably wandered to Hollywood Cemetery on a nice day, where famous historical figures such as James Monroe and John Tyler are buried, but most people may not have heard of Evergreen Cemetery.

Located in Henrico County, it was the final resting place of influential Richmond city leaders such as Maggie Walker, who fought for the rights of African Americans.

Richards says Evergreen Cemetery, with its overgrown weeds and vandalism, is a sad comparison to Hollywood Cemetery. No one has taken the time to preserve it.

Famous black architect J.A. Lankford designed the Elk’s Lodge, which was one of the biggest houses in Virginia built for an African-American at the time. This impressive house, Richardson says, is currently vacant and awaiting restoration.

What is even more concerning, he says, is that an average passer-by would never know the historical significance of the area because there are no signs to educate people about its past.

In the 1950s Jackson Ward faced a huge setback when I-95 was built, dividing the neighborhood.

Richardson worked with editor and photographer Maurice Duke, who also lives in Richmond, to capture these forgotten landmarks.

He also worked closely with the Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, a nonprofit organization determined to revitalize Richmond.