Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
McKenney House
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, March 29, 2009
1. McKenney House Marker
Inscription.
McKenney House. . The McKenney House was originally constructed as a residence for Mayor John Dodson in 1859. It was the residence of Confederate General William Mahone after the Civil War. The property was purchased by William R. McKenney in early 1911. The McKenney family gave the house to the City in 1923 to be used as a public library in honor of the prominent lawyer. Opened in 1924, the library was segregated for decades with white patrons allowed to use the main level and African-Americans only allowed in the basement level. In February 1960, Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker and Rev. R.B. Williams, African-American ministers, led a major sit-in at the library in an effort to desegregate the main level. That event kicked off a major sit-in movement in Petersburg and led to the appointment of Rev. Walker, of Gilfield Baptist Church, as Executive Director of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Several months later, the library became one of the first Petersburg institutions to be integrated.
The McKenney House was originally constructed as a residence for Mayor John Dodson in 1859. It was the residence of Confederate General William Mahone after the Civil War. The property was purchased by William R. McKenney in early 1911. The McKenney family gave the house to the City in 1923 to be used as a public library in honor of the prominent lawyer. Opened in 1924, the library was segregated for decades with white patrons allowed to use the main level and African-Americans only allowed in the basement level.
In February 1960, Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker and Rev. R.B. Williams, African-American ministers, led a major sit-in at the library in an effort to desegregate the main level. That event kicked off a major sit-in movement in Petersburg and led to the appointment of Rev. Walker, of Gilfield Baptist Church, as Executive Director of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Several months later, the library became one of the first Petersburg institutions to be integrated.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1960.
Location. 37° 13.507′ N, 77° 24.134′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker is at the intersection of South Sycamore
Click or scan to see this page online
Street (Alternate U.S. 301) and Marshall Street, on the left when traveling south on South Sycamore Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 4, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,105 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 4, 2009, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
