The Original Cooperative Center
Commercial Hub
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This was the commercial hub of Aberdeen Gardens, a mini-mall that included a grocery store, barbershop and tavern. Although it has seen many changes since the neighborhood was created in 1939, it has been a vital part of the community. Originally, there was a co-op food store, owned and run by residents. Later it became Brown's Grocery.
In 1945, William Roscoe Walker, Jr., Aberdeen's first resident manager, moved his office from his home on East Russell Road to what had been the barbershop. The following year, his recommendation that those who could afford to buy the homes be allowed to do so was accepted. They paid between $1,800 for a three-bedroom house and $3,300 for a five-bedroom house. Walker was well known and respected in the community. It was his home that Eleanor Roosevelt visited when she toured Aberdeen Gardens in April 1938.
Erected 2010 by Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Eleanor Roosevelt series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1938.
Location. 37° 1.948′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is on the Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Todd Farmhouse (a few steps from this marker); Once Hampton Institute's Farm (a few steps from this marker); Aberdeen Elementary School (within shouting distance of this marker); The Beginnings of Aberdeen Gardens
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 283 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
