6 African American history museums and sites in Virginia | portsmouthva.gov
6 African American history museums and sites in Virginia | portsmouthva.gov
6 African American history museums and sites in Virginia
Library Museum, Portsmouth
During the 1920s, pastor M.B. Birchette led an effort to establish a library for Portsmouth’s African American populace, who were excluded from the main town library. The library started as a reading room in the St. James Episcopal Church in 1937 but closed in 1941 when funding ran out.
The Portsmouth Library Association raised funds and worked with the city government to create a standalone building on South Street. The 900-square-foot library opened in 1945 and became a hub for education and community events like clothing drives and cultural programs. The library closed in 1963 after desegregation. The staff and most of the catalog were integrated into the main library, removing the need for the smaller building.
The 1945 library building moved again in 1967 and finally landed in its present-day spot on Elm Street in 2007. After renovations, the Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum debuted in 2013. The former library is now on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Admission is by donation; open noon–4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
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