South Newport News , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
William Ward Pinkett, Sr.
East End Entrepreneur 1877-1944
Photographed by Evan Dwyer, May 4, 2024
1. William Ward Pinkett, Sr. Marker
William Ward Pinkett, Sr. was an African American born in Middlesex County, Virginia on February 27, 1877. A graduate of Hampton Institute, he founded and operated a tailoring business for 45 years in Newport News. Mr. Pinkett was well regarded throughout the city. He was instrumental in organizing the Newport News Brass Band and for many years was its conductor. He was an early member and elder of Carver Presbyterian Church.
The Pinkett family home was located on the waterfront at 1 Nelms Avenue near where King-Lincoln Park sits today. The park's shore on the Hampton Roads harbor, referred to as "Pinkett's Beach," was the city's first waterfront resort area where blacks could enjoy recreational activities. In addition to the sun-bathing and swimming opportunities afforded there, Mr. Pinkett built a pavilion where churches and organizations held baptisms, picnics and entertainments.
[Captions:]
Pinkett's Tailor Shop at 2403 Jefferson Avenue.
Pinkett and colleagues at Hampton Institute.
The Community Brass Band. Pinkett played coronet and served as conductor.
The Pinkett house and adjacent pavilion which hosted community social activities.
The residence where the Pinketts raised their four children. Inspired by their father, they were all musically inclined.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is February 27, 1877.
Location. 36° 57.974′ N, 76° 24.667′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in South Newport News. It is on Jefferson Avenue (Virginia Route 143) 0.2 miles south of 6th Street, on the left when traveling south. The marker stands in King-Lincoln Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News VA 23607, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula, in Hampton Roads, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. 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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Curtiss Flying School (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Camp Stuart (approx. one mile away); King Comes to Newport News (approx. 1.2 miles away); Memorial Design & Concept (approx. 1.2 miles away); Newport News Pays Tribute (approx. 1.2 miles away); Crusader for Legal Justice (approx. 1.2 miles away); Ella Fitzgerald (approx. 1.2 miles away); Ella Jane Fitzgerald (approx. 1.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 52 times since then. Photo 1. submitted on February 15, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
