THE VISION
The Petersburg African-American History and Cultural Center and Archives (The Center) will be home to changing exhibits featuring the lived experience of Petersburg’s African-American community. The Center will capture oral histories, offer seminars on genealogy, and present programs on local history and culture. It will also house a state-of-the-art repository to hold and preserve the historical documents of African-American history and the City of Petersburg.
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).
The final private owner of the home was William R. McKenney, a Congressman and active citizen, who purchased the property in 1911. Upon his death, his widow, Clara Pickrell McKenney, gave the building to the City for use as a library and museum in memory of her husband. It was originally named the William R. McKenney Free Library, but this was later changed to the Petersburg Public Library. When the Library was established, all the members of the community were invited to use it, however African-Americans, due to segregation, could only enter the building through a side entrance of the basement.
In 1960, the Petersburg Public Library became the focus of the earliest activism efforts to desegregate businesses and public buildings in Petersburg. Protests, led by Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, not only led to the desegregation of the Library but to all public buildings in the City. It is fitting that this site be remembered as an essential location in the pursuit of civil rights for African-Americans in Petersburg. As such, it is an ideal home for The Center.