St. John Street, 1907

Looking north from Charity Street

Who lived there?

Photo above is “St. John Street looking north from Charity Street, 1907,” Souvenir Views: Negro Enterprises and Residences, Richmond Va., plate 53. Library of Congress. Photo has been enhanced to show detail.
Detail from the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, Richmond, 1905, showing St. John north of Charity. The map key notes that yellow dwellings are “frame, not a special.” Note that some dwellings are rowhouses, sharing a wall. Source: Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1905, plates 65 and 66 (stitched together), Library of Congress.

April 16, 2024

Following is information about the residents who lived on St. John at the time of the 1907 photograph. Street number is provided as well as the name of the head of household and occupation of the head of household. It is likely that all residences were rentals. (Source of the address numbers and heads of household as listed: Richmond City Directory, 1907, street directory list. Source of occupations when they could be located: Richmond City Directory, 1907, alphabetical directory list. Richmond City Directory was accessed on www.ancestry.com on July 12, 2023.)

Left side of street (going from bottom to top of photo, from Charity Street to Federal Street):

  • 1006 – John Smith
  • 1010 – Richard Jackson, driver
  • 1012 – George Bailey, porter
  • 1014 – James Early, butler
  • 1016 – J. W. P. Scott, driver
  • 1018 – Susan Williams
  • 1020 – Eugene Catlett, laborer
  • 1022 – Fannie Corbin

Right side of street (going from bottom to top of photo, from Charity Street to Federal Street):

  • 1001 – Bourne and Harris (grocers); also Ernest Oberdorfer (potato chips) and Frank Bingham (these were the only residents indicated as being White).
  • 1003 – George Wilkerson, Jr., porter
  • 1005 – Van Washington, laborer
  • 1007 – Sully Cox, janitor
  • 1009 – Missouri Jones
  • 1011 – Walter Brown, cook
  • 1013 – Samuel Smith, laborer
  • 1015 – Bettie Brown
  • 1017 – Percy Smith, porter
  • 1019 – Rev. W. H. Stokes, Ebenezer Baptist Church pastor
  • 1021 – Armistead Nibbs, laborer
  • 1023 – Claibourne Bowles, janitor
  • 1027 – Hannah Doyle
  • 1029 – Peter Thompson, carpenter

All persons on the street were identified as “colored” by use of an asterisk except for Bourne and Harris, Oberdorfer Potato Chips, and Frank Bingham — they were likely living behind or above the store at front right of the photo. The fact that race was not identified for them means they were white. Women were not identified in city directories of the era unless they were considered heads of household or owned a business.

The April 21, 1910, U.S. Census provided more information as to the residents of each home. In the following list taken from that census, if marital status is not provided, it was indicated as “single.” If an occupation is not provided, the person was indicated as “not employed.” All persons on this city block of the street were indicated as “black” or “mulatto” in the document (see “Race and the Census” for a discussion of racial indicators on the U.S. censuses).

  • 1006 – William H. Smith, head, 28, laborer/locomotive works, rents; Mary Smith, wife, 29.
  • 1006 (second household) – Moses Hill, head, 27, wagon driver in lumber industry, rents; Addie Hill, wife, 24; Earl N. Hill, son, 5; Virginia E. Hill, daughter, 3; William H. Hill, son, 2 months.
  • 1008 – Mary P. Payne, head, 39, widow, laundress at home, rents.
  • 1008 (second household) – John Reid, head, 45, trucker for a warehouse, rents. Annie Reid, wife, 40, housework outside of home; Bessie Reid, daughter, 11.
  • 1010 – Richard Jackson, head, 52, wagon driver for hire, owns; Ida Jackson, wife, 50; Lelia Jackson, daughter, 19; Walter Jackson, son, 21, wagon driver for hire.
  • 1012 – Peyton Williams, head, 30, laborer for locomotive works, rents; Mary Peyton, wife, 28; Lucy Williams, daughter, 11; Joseph Williams, son, 8; George Williams, son, 6; Linwood Williams, son, 5; Levi Williams, son, 2; Willie Jenkins, brother-in-law, 17, laborer for locomotive works; John Webster, boarder, 22, laborer for locomotive works.
  • 1014 – James Early, head, 60, sexton at a church, rents; Ophelia Early, wife, 60; Silia Early, daughter, 25, seamstress outside the home; Esterine Early, daughter, 20, chambermaid for a private family.
  • 1016 – John W. Scott, head, 52, teamster at an implement company, owns free of mortgage; Rosetta H. Scott, wife, 47; William B. Scott, son, 22, baker in a bakery; Celestine Scott, daughter, 20, clerk for an insurance company; Robert H. Scott, son, 18, wagon driver for a bakery; George W. Scott, son, 13.
  • 1018 – Susan Williams, head, 53, widow, trained nurse working outside the home, owns free of mortgage; Edith L. Bradford, daughter, 26, dressmaker at home; Daniel J. Bradford, son-in-law, 29, real estate agent; Lucy C. Johnson, lodger, 43, seamstress at home; Bettie F. Johnson, lodger, 9.
  • 1020 – W. Walker Benjamin, head, 38, shipping clerk for a dry goods store, rents; Lucy Benjamin, wife, 35; Emma Benjamin, daughter, 16.
  • 1020 (second household) – George Turner, head, 58, machinist at a machine shop, rents; Sarah Turner, wife, 49; Willie Green, 28, wagon driver for a furniture store.
  • 1022 – Kate Holmes, head, 59, widow, owns free of mortgage; Harrison Holmes, son, 37, waiter for a private family; Lucy Holmes, daughter-in-law, 28; Lingard Holmes, grandson, 10, Sheppard Holmes, grandson, 8; Marie Holmes, granddaughter, 6; Kate Holmes, daughter, 21.
  • 1022 (second household) – George Deane, head, 49, house carpenter, rents; Carrie Deane, wife, 36.

  • 1003 – Joseph Watkins, head, 27, cooper in a factory, rents; Elizabeth Watkins, wife, 23; Benjamin T. Watkins, son, 3; Joseph Watkins, Jr., son, 5 months.
  • 1003 (second household) – Gracie Goodman, head, 46, widow, cook for a private family, rents; Nannie Goodman, daughter, 14; Florence Goodman, daughter, 17, nurse for a private family; James Goodman, son, 12. 
  • 1005 – Virginia Washington, head, 54, widow, rents; Bertha Washington, daughter, 24; Ophelia Washington, daughter, 21, teacher in public schools; Robert Washington, 17, laborer in printing office; Ethel Washington, daughter, 10.
  • 1007 – Louis Frayser, head, 23, wagon driver for dry goods store, rents; Leora Frayser, wife, 23, dressmaker at home.
  • 1007 – (second household) – Maria Carter, head, 31, married, laundress at home, rents; Willie Carter Jr., son, 8.
  • 1009 – Thomas H. Gaines, head, 28, broom maker in a factory, owns free of mortgage; Missouri G. Jones, sister, 30, widow.
  • 1013 – Samuel Smith, head, 47, house carpenter, owns free of mortgage; Mary Smith, 38, wife; Samuel Smith Jr., son, 15; Malinda, daughter, 22.
  • 1015 – Bettie Brown, head, 50, widow, laundress at home, owns free of mortgage; Ralph Hall, lodger, 28, bellman at a hotel; Joseph Hall, lodger, 26, wagon driver for a grocer; Bessie Brown, daughter, 23, clerk at insurance office; Alice Brown, daughter, 21, clerk at insurance office.
  • 1017 – Percy Smith, head, 33, paper company porter, rents; Addie Smith, wife, 31, at home laundress; Bertha A. Smith, daughter, 7.
  • 1017 (second household) – Nancy Lewis, head, 60, rents; Elnora Brown, lodger, 50.
  • 1019 – William H. Stokes, head, pastor, church, owns home free of mortgage; Ova B. Stokes, wife, 28, proprietor, millinery store; Mary S. Stokes, sister, 19; Ernest Morton, adopted son, 17, grocery store porter.
  • 1021 – Armstead Nibbs, head, 46, laborer, telegraph company, owns free of mortgage; Dollie Nibbs, wife, 40, cook for private family laborer; Pearl Granton, stepdaughter, 16; Harry Nibbs, son, 14.
  • 1023 – Ida Goodman, head, 45, widow, private cook for private family, rents.
  • 1023 (second household) – Patrick Nelson, head, 50, carrier (illegible), rents; Ann Nelson, wife, 50, cook in private home.
  • 1025 – Nettie T. Johnson, head, 50, widow, at home laundress, owns free of mortgage; Mary Johnson, daughter, 21.
  • 1027 – Hannah S. Doyle, head, 60, widow, owns free of mortgage; Matthew F. Doyle, daughter (error?), 28, insurance agent; Rebecca S. Doyle, daughter, 26, at home seamstress; Mary K. Doyle, daughter, 24, at home seamstress; Lillian A. Doyle, daughter, 22, insurance office clerk; Edward S. Brown, brother, 59, widower, notary public.
  • 1029 – Peter T. Thompson, head, 50, house carpenter with his own business, owns home free of mortgage; Bettie Thompson, wife, 49; Harry Thompson, son, 29, janitor in offices; Oliver Thompson, son, 24, helper in furniture store; George Thompson, 19, presser in tailor shop.
St. John Street today, looking north toward Federal Street. Redevelopment is planned for the Gilpin Court public housing community currently located there. For more information about the history of Gilpin Court and current planning, see this Virginia Mercury article:
“Can redevelopment save Richmond’s Gilpin Court?” (Photo credit: Google maps, April 2014.)

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