Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site Welcome to the official page for the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. Walker National Historic Site with one another. Department of Interior.

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ere. If you do not comply, your message will be removed. We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions, nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Such posts and/or links are subject to deletion. People who continue to post such content and/or links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. We do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. Posting of external links on this site that are intended as advertising (or to drive traffic to websites unrelated to Maggie L. Walker NHS), or do not contribute to dialog and discussions about Walker may be deleted. People who continue to post such links may be subject to page participation restrictions and/or removal from the page. External links do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. National Park Service or the U.S.

Meet Kat! Kat Doolin joined us as a seasonal Park Guide in April and has been a wonderful addition to our team. Her tim...
08/30/2026

Meet Kat! Kat Doolin joined us as a seasonal Park Guide in April and has been a wonderful addition to our team. Her time will be up with us in January, so make plans to stop by and say hi before then. In the meantime, here’s a little more about her in her own words: "Kat is excited to join the team at Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Virginia! Originally from Washington State, she began her National Park Service career in Yellowstone and has since combined her passions for public service, education, and community engagement. With professional backgrounds in emergency management and lower school education, Kat is inspired by Maggie L. Walker's remarkable legacy of leadership, resilience, and service. She looks forward to learning from her colleagues, connecting with visitors, and helping share Mrs. Waker's incredible story.”

Photo: Ranger Kat in front of the Maggie L. Walker mural in our courtyard

Because it’s and Read A Romance Month, we wanted to highlight a romance novel from Mrs. Walker’s collection that we fi...
08/27/2026

Because it’s and Read A Romance Month, we wanted to highlight a romance novel from Mrs. Walker’s collection that we first featured back in 2018. "Audrey" by Mary Johnston (1870-1936), was published in 1902 and became one of the country’s best-selling books. Johnston was a Virginia native and women's rights activist who published 23 novels. Johnston’s books didn't always fall into the “romance” category, but “Audrey" was a successful exception. The novel takes place in Virginia during the 18th century, and centers around the love that develops between the wealthy Marmaduke Haward and Audrey, an orphan who he rescued after her parents were killed by Native Americans. The inside of the front cover features Maggie L. Walker’s signature and the date, March 19, 1902 suggesting she bought the book soon after its publication.

Photos: Front and inside cover of Maggie L. Walker’s copy of “Audrey” by Mary Johnston

Maggie L. Walker’s newspaper, the St. Luke Herald, published the following poem written by Stella H. Smothers entitled...
08/22/2026

Maggie L. Walker’s newspaper, the St. Luke Herald, published the following poem written by Stella H. Smothers entitled “An Ode to Mrs. Maggie L. Walker”:

Down here in Virginia, the State that’ll surely win you;
Dwells in the capital of this grand, old State,
A great and noble lady, whose worth and fame have made it
The center of attraction for Negroes small and great.
She’s a genius! That can’t be denied;
She works, and doesn’t seem to be tired.
Yes, works for the welfare, and interest of her race.
Striving to help them win a place
Of great achievements as a race.
Her one desire is to show, as the years come and go,
That regardless of difficulties and little pelf,
The Negro is capable of taking care of himself.
The Order that she represents,
Is helpful, noble and strong,
And one need not have any discontent,
Once they’ve joined the St. Luke throng.
Her name is Maggie L. Walker, and we know that she is a wonderful talker
Always willing to tell us, things of help and worth
And as she travels far and wide,
We cannot help but realize,
That her heart is given to her work.
And too, we know she’ll never shirk,
Until her work is done on earth.
Then as a race, help sound her praises,
Give to her a helping hand,
Help to fight life’s battles bravely,
And be a people in God’s own land.

Photo: Maggie L. Walker, ca. 1905 (NPS)

in 1919, Maggie L. Walker received a lifetime appointment as head of the Independent Order of St. Luke (IOSL). Walker ...
08/19/2026

in 1919, Maggie L. Walker received a lifetime appointment as head of the Independent Order of St. Luke (IOSL). Walker had served in that capacity for the previous 20 years during which time she had to run for re-election five times. Walker’s diary entry for the day noted that her new salary was placed at $500/month, providing rare insight into the amount of money she earned through the IOSL.

Photo: Maggie L. Walker, ca. 1910s (NPS)

Happy National Black Business Month! Maggie L. Walker became famous as an entrepreneur, but she was also a powerful advo...
08/17/2026

Happy National Black Business Month! Maggie L. Walker became famous as an entrepreneur, but she was also a powerful advocate for the support of Black-owned businesses. At a time when it was common for Black customers to be discriminated against in White-owned stores, Walker stressed the importance of “buying Black.” Supporting Black-owned stores instead, Walker argued, brought much-needed economic empowerment to the Black community, strengthened race pride, and had the added benefit of supporting businesses where Black customers were treated with dignity. For Walker, this was perhaps best symbolized by her department store, the St. Luke Emporium. Established in 1905, the Emporium was the first department store in Richmond to be opened by a Black woman and featured both an all-Black staff and brown-skinned mannequins in its storefront windows.

Photo: Maggie L. Walker’s department store, the St. Luke Emporium, and staff, ca. 1905 (NPS)

It’s National Financial Awareness Day! Are you in control of your finances? If you lived during Mrs. Walker’s time, she...
08/14/2026

It’s National Financial Awareness Day! Are you in control of your finances? If you lived during Mrs. Walker’s time, she would certainly have encouraged you to save and spend wisely. In one of her speeches to a group of Richmond women, Walker said: “Make it a rule to save some part of every dollar you have, and the practice will become a habit – a habit which you will never regret, and of which you will never grow shame.” For more quotes from Mrs. Walker, about finances and other subjects, check out the Memorable Quotes page on our website: https://ow.ly/A13X50ZnqAm

Photo: Maggie L. Walker (front row, third from right) with staff and directors of the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank, ca. 1903 (NPS)

Happy Birthday, Melvin! Maggie L. Walker’s third and youngest son, Melvin DeWitt Walker, was born in 1897. After gro...
08/10/2026

Happy Birthday, Melvin! Maggie L. Walker’s third and youngest son, Melvin DeWitt Walker, was born in 1897. After growing up in Richmond, Melvin attended both Shaw Academy and Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Melvin played tight end on Shaw’s football team and is seen here in athletic looking gear. To date, this is only one of two photographs believed to have been taken of Melvin while a student at Shaw.

Photo: Melvin D. Walker at Shaw University, ca. 1917-1919 (NPS)

Alt Text: Black and white photo of a man wearing a striped tank top with the letter “S” in the middle, shorts, and tall striped socks

Happy National Book Lover’s Day! With nearly 600 books in her library, it’s safe to say Maggie L. Walker loved reading....
08/09/2026

Happy National Book Lover’s Day! With nearly 600 books in her library, it’s safe to say Maggie L. Walker loved reading. Most of her books fall under the categories of history and literature, but she also loved novels and poetry. What are your favorite kinds of books to read?

Photo: Maggie L. Walker’s library (NPS)

100 years ago, the Washington Tribune published a story about Maggie L. Walker working to support the National Trainin...
08/06/2026

100 years ago, the Washington Tribune published a story about Maggie L. Walker working to support the National Training School for Girls in Washington, D.C. The school had been established in 1909 by one of Walker’s closest friends, Nannie Helen Burroughs, to provide vocational education to young Black women. Walker had helped fund the school’s initial construction, but in the summer of 1926, Burroughs was again in need of her assistance. A fire had destroyed sections of the campus and Burroughs was looking to finance its reconstruction. Walker helped raise money for the cause, and served as a trustee of the school for many years. In honor of Walker’s sustained support, “Maggie L. Walker Hall” (pictured), which contained both dormitory rooms and sewing classrooms, was dedicated on the school’s campus.

Photo: Maggie L. Walker Hall on the campus of the National Training School for Girls (Library of Congress)

Alt Text: Black and white photograph of a two-story house with “Maggie L. Walker Hall” on the front

In honor of Single Working Woman’s Day, we wanted to highlight Maggie L. Walker’s mother, Elizabeth Draper Mitchell. Fo...
08/04/2026

In honor of Single Working Woman’s Day, we wanted to highlight Maggie L. Walker’s mother, Elizabeth Draper Mitchell. For the first four years of Mrs. Walker’s life (1864-1868), Elizabeth raised her while working as a cook for a private family. She married William Mitchell in 1868, but his unexpected death in 1876 left Elizabeth to raise both Maggie and her younger brother Johnnie on her own. Elizabeth worked as a laundress to make ends meet, recruited her daughter to help with the hard labor, and provided her with a lasting example of hard work and sacrifice that Mrs. Walker applied in countless ways to her life and career.

Photo: Elizabeth Draper Mitchell, ca. 1900-1920 (NPS)

Alt Text: Colorized photo portrait of a woman in a dark colored dress

Address

600 N 2nd Street
Richmond, VA
23219

Opening Hours

Friday 9am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18042265041

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