HOUSE TO HIGHWAY: RECLAIMING A COMMUNITY HISTORY

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It began with a simple question—“Who is the Jackson in Jackson Ward?”

 In October 2020, this inquiry led me to the Library of Virginia and little did I know, but those seven words would help to unearth some of the hidden histories of the nation’s first historically registered Black urban neighborhood. My question intrigued Dr. Gregg D. Kimball, who was serving as Director of Public Services and Outreach for the Library—and he, along with other archivists and librarians, would help to guide me towards the answer. And unbeknownst to either of us, in the midst of a pandemic, not only would a project and partnership be born out of this inquiry about the ward’s origin story, but more importantly, so would a deep friendship that would eventually embrace others at the Library. 

Since that initial introduction four years ago, the Library of Virginia and The JXN Project would forge a partnership that began with a summer lecture series in collaboration with Richmond Public Library to share the findings of our collective research—and House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History serves as a capstone to share the untold story of Abraham Peyton Skipwith as “The Founding Father of Jackson Ward”. Through this exhibition, Skipwith’s life, liberty, lineage, and legacy as the first known Black homeowner in Jackson Ward, a home commonly called the Skipwith–Roper Cottage, will be used to tell to the Black American experience as part of the U.S. Semiquincentennial— to include the fate of his home due to the Richmond–Petersburg Turnpike, which devastated the community in the city’s sixth ward. 

The House to Highway: Reclaiming a Community History exhibition resulted from a lively partnership between The JXN Project and the Library of Virginia with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Virginia Humanities, and The Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, as well as the Mellon Foundation for programming. Riggs Ward Design and Mindhatch Creative designed the exhibition, which began at the Library of Virginia and will be transferred to the Skipwith–Roper Cottage and The JXN Haus as its permanent site as part of the U.S. Semiquincentennial during Jackson Ward’s Founding Week from April 17-19, 2026.

The Library served as the Project’s first official partner and we hope that our exhibition helps to encourage future community collaborations as so many more untold stories are waiting to be found in the research room. Onward always. 

— Sesha Joi Moon, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Executive Director, The JXN Project

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#thejxnproject #jxnward150 #skipwithroperhomecoming #housetohighway #america250

Portrait Courtesy of S. Ross Browne, Audio Courtesy of the College of William and Mary and Christversal, LLC, and Graphic Designs Courtesy of Riggs Ward and Mindhatch Creative