Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Dr. W.L. Harris
City of Fredericksburg, Virginia
| — | FXBG Civil Rights Trail | — |
Dentist, entrepreneur, developer, community leader, and advocate.
Dr. Harris's company, McGuire Inc., built more than 35 homes in Mayfield, a historically Black neighborhood in the city of Fredericksburg. Dr. Harris provided affordable housing for local African Americans unable to secure bank loans. In the 1940s, he purchased the property that previously housed the Fredericksburg Normal and Industrial Institute, converting the building into apartments to house more than a dozen families.
Born in Essex County, Virginia in 1889, Dr. Webster Lee Harris moved to Fredericksburg, where he practiced dentistry from 1918 until 1951. He built a traveling dental office and served people throughout the area. Dr. Harris opened the Hotel McGuire at 521 Princess Anne Street, which also housed the McGuire Hotel Dining Room and McGuire Beauty Shop.
Dr. Harris was known for his leadership on the Fredericksburg Branch NAACP, the Walker-Grant School Parent-Teacher Association, and the City of Fredericksburg's Bi-Racial Commission. A lifelong member of Shiloh Baptist Church (New Site), he served on the church's board of trustees.
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[Captions:]
Dr. Harris graduated from Virginia State University and Howard University's dental school. Photograph courtesy Dr. Marci Catlett.
Dr. Harris (second row, far right) stands alongside other former Walker-Grant PTA presidents, including Dr. Phillip Wyatt (second row, second from left), with whom he served on many civic organizations.
The Hotel McGuire was one of the largest Black hotels in Virginia and appeared in the Green Book. Photograph courtesy Willie Holmes.
Erected 2024 by City of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.
Location. 38° 17.235′ N, 77° 27.494′ W. Marker is in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is on Tyler Street 0.1 miles east of White
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern 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: Fredericksburg Normal and Industrial Institute (here, next to this marker); Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory (approx. 0.4 miles away); Spanish War Veterans (approx. 0.4 miles away); Camp Cobb at Gunnery Springs (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Walker-Grant School (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Walker-Grant School (approx. half a mile away); Walker-Grant School - 1935 (approx. half a mile away); c. 1938 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 569 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 2, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
