Alderson in Monroe County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
"Bricktop" Smith
| | Legends & Lore | |
Photographed by Dave W, August 25, 2024
1. "Bricktop" Smith Marker
African American Jazz Era singer Ada Smith, born here in 1894. Harlem Renaissance headliner, owned clubs in Paris, Rome & New York.
Erected 2019 by West Virginia Humanities Coucil; William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 76.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. In addition, it is included in the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation Legends & Lore Series series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.
Location. 37° 43.465′ N, 80° 38.582′ W. Marker is in Alderson, West Virginia, in Monroe County. It is on South Monroe Street north of C O Plaza, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 Railroad Ave, Alderson WV 24910, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Southern Coalfields. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Greenbrier County / Monroe County (a few steps from this marker); Alderson's Ferry (a few steps from this marker); Alderson Memorial Bridge History (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Alderson (about 500 feet away); Alderson Lion (about 600 feet away);
this page online
Also see . . . Ada "Bricktop" Smith. Excerpt:
Smith was born in Alderson, West Virginia, the youngest of four children by a Black father and a mixed-race mother, who had been born into slavery two years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Her grandfather was likely her mother's Irish-American enslaver. When her father died, her family relocated to Chicago, and she was raised there for her greater youth. It was there that saloon life caught her fancy, and where she acquired her nickname, "Bricktop," for the flaming red hair and freckles inherited from her grandfather.(Submitted on May 30, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Photographed by Dave W, August 25, 2024
2. "Bricktop" Smith Marker
Photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934
3. Ada Bricktop Smith
Photographed by J.T. Lambrou, April 12, 2025
4. "Bricktop" Smith Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2024, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. This page has been viewed 347 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 25, 2024, by Dave W of Co, Colorado. 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2025, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
