Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Wyatt Tee Walker

(1928-2018)

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 21, 2021

1. Wyatt Tee Walker Marker

Inscription. Wyatt Tee Walker, pastor of Gillfield Baptist Church from 1953 to 1960, served as the president of the Petersburg branch of the NAACP and as Virginia director of the Congress of Racial Equality. He worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and for several years was his chief of staff. In 1960 Walker became the first full-time executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He helped organized major civil rights protests including the Birmingham (Alabama) Movement and the March on Washington. For 37 years Walker was pastor of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem, N.Y. In 1978 he organized the International Freedom Mobilization to combat apartheid in South Africa.

Erected 2020 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number QA-42.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1953.

Location. 37° 13.388′ N, 77° 24.485′ W.

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Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. It is on Perry Street just north of Farmer Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 222 Perry St, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in 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 walking distance of this marker: North Carolina Confederate Hospital (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Undine Smith Moore (about 600 feet away); Bishop Payne Divinity School (about 700 feet away); Lincoln In Petersburg (about 800 feet away); Virginia Voters League (approx. 0.2 miles away); Prince Hall Masons in Virginia (approx. ¼ mile away); Gothic Cottage (approx. ¼ mile away); First Baptist Church

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 21, 2021

2. Wyatt Tee Walker Marker

(approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Petersburg.

Photographed by Evan Dwyer, June 6, 2026

3. Wyatt Tee Walker Marker

Beyond the marker is the brick Gillfield Church, built between 1874-1878, where Rev. Walker was pastor between 1953-60.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 22, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 455 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 22, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on June 14, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia.