THE HISTORY OF THE MCKENNEY BUILDING

The property at 137 S. Sycamore Street was constructed in 1859 as a private residence. It was built by John Dodson, an early mayor of Petersburg. It housed several families over the years and was a residence of Confederate General William Mahone. After the Civil War, Mahone became the leader of the integrated Readjuster political party. The Readjuster party joined with Virginia’s African-Americans to successfully establish the nation’s first state-supported college for Black people (nearby Virginia State University).