The Deuce & Detours:
2nd Street's Journey

Jackson Ward, Richmond, Virginia  ·  1867 – Present

Jump to an era — or explore from the beginning

Tap any era below to open the interactive map for that period.

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Mini History

North Second Street was an important street for African Americans from the late 19th century to the 1950s. Many know it as the "Black Wall Street" of the South, when it contained some of the first Black-owned banks and insurance companies in the 1910s. Second Street then became a central cultural site; the Hippodrome and the Eggleston Hotel invited nationally renowned Black artists to spend time in Jackson Ward. In the late 1950s and early '60s, I-95 cut through the street's 800 block. Desegregation enabled Black people to shop at any business of their choosing — but led business away from Second Street. This led to a couple decades of economic decline. However, in recent years the street has been making a comeback as new businesses and respect for the neighborhood's rich history begin to fill up vacant storefronts.

How It Works

This 145-year period on North Second Street is grouped into six eras marking major changes. Click an era to see the buildings and interact with the map by clicking a building. Important sites are marked with a blue dot and contain more history.

Blue circle marker for historic sites Blue circles mark historic sites — tap one for photos and the full story.
Colored building parcel example Colored buildings show parcel use (commercial, residential, mixed use, vacant, institutional) — tap one for its address and business.
Orange/Black camera-direction marker for historic photos Orange/Black markers are historic photos — the cone shows which direction the camera faced.
Why This Project

This project highlights changes on Second Street from 1867 to 2025. Second Street was important to the development of Jackson Ward, which was originally created in the 1870s as a voting district specifically to disenfranchise the Black voters of Richmond. But even with these unpleasant origins, the Black community of Jackson Ward made this place their own. Seeing a need for economic independence, Black residents began forming businesses and social clubs along Second Street. And even through major changes like the construction of I-95 and desegregation, it's always been home to Black entrepreneurship, community, and arts. Throughout this project we hope to highlight and celebrate the people, businesses, and institutions that have shaped the Jackson Ward community and the city of Richmond as a whole over these 160 years.

Acknowledgments

This project would not exist without the institutions, archives, and people who shared their time and expertise.

Student Research Project  ·  2025 Prototype

2nd Street Through Time

Jackson Ward, Richmond

© OpenStreetMap contributors · MapLibre

Era: 1926 – 1950

Parcel use

Commercial
Residential
Mixed use
Vacant
Institutional

🔷 Scroll up on the map and tap a blue circle for historic sites  ·  Tap any colored building for details  ·  Click on an era below the era overview to change eras

Era overview

Harlem of the South

The Hippodrome and other venues hosted Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Despite Jim Crow, 2nd Street thrived as a center of Black art, business, and nightlife.

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