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

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

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Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

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

Page Expectations and Guidelines:

We hope this will become a place where fans feel comfortable sharing information and experiences about Maggie L. While this is an open forum, it is also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments and wall posts clean. Please be considerate of other fan's opinions. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here. 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.

10/30/2026

in 1899 Maggie L. Walker introduced famed activist Mary Church Terrell at a YMCA meeting in Richmond. Though this was the earliest known meeting between the two leaders, it would be far from the last. During the final 20 years of Walker’s life, she and Terrell would work closely within the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs, which Terrell had co-founded in 1896. In 1930, Terrell wrote an article about Walker applauding her life and accomplishments that was published in several of the nation’s Black newspapers.

Photo: Mary Church Terrell, ca. 1920 (The Library of Congress)

10/29/2026

Beginning November 6, 2026 tours of Maggie L. Walker’s home will be offered on Fridays and Saturdays at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Each tour lasts approximately one hour.

Tours begin at the Visitor Center, located at 600 N. 2nd St. Each tour starts with the 20-minute orientation film, "Carry On," followed by a guided tour of Maggie L. Walker’s historic home on E. Leigh Street, just around the corner from the Visitor Center. Tours are free and available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a maximum of 12 visitors per tour.

Group tours for parties of 12 or more are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Reservations must be requested at least two weeks in advance.

10/28/2026

“Maggie L. Walker of Richmond, Va., enjoys the distinction of being the only colored woman banker in the United States. Her institution is a pronounced success and enjoys the respect and confidence of all the business interests of Virginia…. Her home which is worth approximately $40,000 is exquisitely furnished each room expressing the culture and refinement of the owner.”
-Tampa Bay Tribune [Florida], October 28, 1922

Photo: Maggie L. Walker studio portrait, ca. 1900-1910 (NPS)

10/25/2026

Honoring IOSL Gravesites in Richmond # 116

in 1922, Alberta Nelson, member of the Independent Order of St. Luke's (IOSL) Evergreen Council, No. 159, passed away at the age of 54.

Little is known about Alberta Nelson’s early life, aside from the fact that she was born in Virginia in 1868. Alberta’s maiden name is also unknown, though records indicate she married a man named Thomas Nelson sometime before 1910, and that Thomas had passed away by 1920.

Census records and City Directories show Mrs. Nelson to have worked as both a domestic servant and as a stemmer at a to***co factory in Richmond during her final 12 years. In that time, Alberta lived in several different homes in the Church Hill neighborhood and developed a close friendship with a man named Robert Jones who worked as a driver for a wholesale grocer. Jones and Nelson were listed together as lodgers at a home in 1910. Shortly before Nelson’s death, she and Jones either lived together or were next door neighbors. Described simply as Nelson’s “friend,” Jones was listed as the informant on her death certificate.

Photo: Albert Nelson’s grave marker at Evergreen Cemetery, taken and uploaded to Find A Grave by Erin Hollaway Palmer in 2025.

10/22/2026

in 1927, the New York Age published a review of Maggie L. Walker’s first biography, authored by her former high school classmate, Wendell P. Dabney. The review was written by Edward D. Caffee, an editor with the St. Luke Herald, and contained the following passage:

“This modern Maid of Orleans, this benefactor of the human race, this meridian sun of Ethiopia, this financial liberator of her people, this choicest flower of womanhood….Madam Maggie L. Walker should be known and read of by all men and all races of the world.”

To the Age, Caffee’s review was proof “that a prophetess may have honor in her own country.”

Photo: Maggie L. Walker studio portait, ca. 1926-1930 (NPS)

10/18/2026

Happy National Cookbook Month! Since it’s October, what better way to celebrate than to take a look at the Pumpkin Pie recipe in The Peytonia Cookbook from Mrs. Walker’s collection. Published in 1906, The Peytonia Cookbook was written by Atholene Peyton (1880-1951), who was raised in Louisville, and is said to have been the first cookbook authored by a Black woman to be published in Kentucky. One of Maggie L. Walker’s closest friends, Nannie H. Burroughs, wrote the Preface for the book and described Peyton as “a genius in the culinary art.”

Recipe: "Pumpkin pies require plenty of eggs, butter and rich milk, as pumpkin is poor. Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds and cut in small bits; add a tiny bit of water and cook until tender. When tender drain off the water and mash, run through a colander. To a pint of stewed pumpkin use a pint of rich milk, four eggs, two full tablespoons of butter; sweeten to taste, using ginger, allspice and a tiny bit of lemon rind. Bake in a hot oven and cover with a meringue. These pies are very rich and are best eaten cold. Some pumpkin is watery, and after eggs, milk and sugar are added the pumpkin seems thin and watery. Thicken with a tablespoon of cornstarch."

Photo: Recipe for Pumpkin Pie from the Peytonia Cookbook.

Recipe as published:

10/14/2026

How do you support the members of your community?

in 1920 Maggie L. Walker went to court to testify as a character witness on behalf of J. Everett Johnson, the son of one of Walker’s co-workers. Johnson, who worked as a bellman at a Richmond hotel had recently been arrested for theft. Thanks to the efforts of Walker and others who offered similar testimony, Johnson was eventually acquitted of the charge.

Johnson's mother, Antoinette (pictured), continued working for the Independent Order of St. Luke for many years even after Mrs. Walker’s death.

Photo: Antoinette Johnson as an employee in the IOSL’s Assessing Department, ca. 1935 (NPS)

10/10/2026

Did You Know? Maggie L. Walker’s entrepreneurial success in the early 1900s earned her national attention, but also resulted in tremendous growth of her organization, the Independent Order of St. Luke (IOSL). Over the course of Mrs. Walker’s 35 years running the IOSL (1899-1934), more than 1700 councils were formed. Four of the top five years that saw the highest number of new councils organized occurred during the first decade of the 1900s. The single best year for the IOSL was 1907 which saw the formation of 97 new councils!

Photo: Maggie L. Walker (center in black dress) surrounded by IOSL office staff in front of St. Luke Hall (NPS)

10/10/2026

Reminder! We’ll be offering THREE tours today instead of five. The tour times are 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Each tour will be capped at 12 people and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We’ll do our best to accommodate everyone, but please be patient and arrive early for the time that works best for you.

Photo: Sandwich board sign announcing today’s tour times (NPS)

10/08/2026

ALERT! This Saturday, October 10, we will be offering three house tours instead of five. The tours will be at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. Each tour will be capped at 12 people and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please plan to arrive early, and be patient. We promise to accommodate everyone as best we can!

Photo: Front of Maggie L. Walker's home, ca. 1927 (NPS)

Address

600 N 2nd Street
Richmond, VA
23219

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+18042265041

Website

http://www.nps.gov/mawa

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