Category: Black People of Alexandria

Colored Hospital Ward

Alexandria Colored Ward
Alexandria, VA Colored Hospital Ward

In order for African Americans to have access to medical facilities, the African American citizens of Alexandria, Virginia felt they had to raise money to contribute to the new hospital. In 1917, the Colored Citizens Association contributed to the new Alexandria Hospital to set aside two Colored hospital wards for their needs.

They raised and contributed the sum of $357.30 to the trustees of the new Alexandria Hospital. This money was for furnishing two wards in the building for the accommodation of colored patients. The Association hoped to increase the total amount to $500 if possible. The contributions were:

City Churches:
Alfred Street Baptist $34.20
Third Baptist $31.52
Roberts M. E. Chapel $31.15
Meade P.E. Chapel $18.60
Zion Baptist $17.35
Ebenezer Baptist $13.25
Shiloh Baptist $12.50
Mount Jezebel(Jezeel) Baptist $5.00
Beulah Baptist $2.00

Rural Churches:
Gum Spring Baptist $36.00
Woodlawn M.E. $10.00
Gunston Baptist $7.90
Franconia Baptist $5.57
Seminary Baptist $5.50

Lodges:
Elks $10.00
Naomi Household of Ruth $10.00
Lancaster Lodge Odd Fellows $10.00
Lincoln Lodge of Masons $5.00
Acacia Lodge of Masons $4.00
W.N. Jackson (Business Mens League) $5.00

District Solicitors:
Mrs. Maria V Simpkins $33.00
Mrs. Rachel Truatt $7.45
Mrs. Effie Tancil $1.05
S. A. Tucker and Marcellus White $40.10
B.F. Watson $5.75
F.H. Rich $4.90
Public Col. March 6, 1917 $.61
Public Col. March 13, 1917 $.70
Total: $368.10

Disbursements:

Printing, stationery and postage $10.80

Net balance $357.30

Colonel John McKee

Article
Partial listing - Baltimore Afro-American - April 12, 1902

John Mckee was one of Alexandria, Virginia most successful African Americans.   At the time of his death, he was known as the wealthiest African American in the country. 

He was born in Alexandria, Virginia around 1819.  In 1838, he registered as a freed person of color in Alexandria.  The registration stated, “John McKee is a bright mulatto boy, about 19 years old, 5 feet 4½ inches tall, who is straight built with light colored eyes.  He was born free, as appears by oaths of Betsey Beckley and Fanny Beckley.” 

Colonel John McKee
Colonel John McKee

When he was in his teens, Mr. McKee was indentured as a brick maker.  He later ran away to Baltimore, Maryland; but was brought back to Alexandria by his Uncle to finish his time of indenture. 

John was 21-years old when he migrated to Philadelphia and worked in the livery stable.  Later he started working for James Prosser, a well- known restaurant owner on Market Street in Philadelphia.  He married his employer’s daughter. 

When the civil war started, John organized and became the Colonel of the Thirteenth Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania (N.G.P.) in the Fifth Brigade under General Louis Wagner.  Later, John became the Colonel of the Eighth New Jersey colored regiment. 

From that time on, John was known as Colonel John Mckee.  He became wealthy in real estate.  At the time of his death, he owned 300 to 400 houses.  He was the founder and owner of McKee City on the West Jersey Railroad in New Jersey a tract of 4,000 acres divided into twenty-one farms.  He also owned about 300,000 acres of coal and oil land in Kentucky and Logan County, West Virginia, and a tract of twenty-one acres at Fifty Street and Oregon Avenue in Philadelphia.  He owned over 23,000 acres of land in two-counties in New York, and sixty acres of land on the Delaware River as well as many other properties in other States.  

Colonel John McKee died April 6, 1902 at his home at 1030 Lombard Street in Philadelphia.   His funeral was at Central Presbyterian Church and his internment was at Olivet Cemetery.  John had one living daughter at the time of his death, Mrs. A.P. Syphax.  He also had six grandsons and two of his grandsons lived in Washington, DC.  

John’s accomplishments were outstanding for a black man that was born in the early 1800s.  His total asset at the end of his life was between $1.5 million to $2 million.   Others at the time of his death said it was $4 million.  John left a quarter of a million dollars to family members and friends.  The bulk of his money and property went to the Catholic Church to establish a school for fatherless children of both races.  Even today, there are scholarships for fatherless children in his name.  

 John will be remembered as one of Alexandria most successful African Americans.

Wash (W N) Jackson

"Hotel Jackson"
Alexandria, Virginia Gazette, 20 February 1939

Washington (Wash or W) N Jackson was remembered as “Hotel Jackson.”  He was one of the first large black hotel owners in Alexandria, Virginia, and it was located on King and Peyton Streets. 

It was noted in a 1927 article that “for more than 30-years occupied as a hotel for colored.”  W N Jackson ran his establishment as a hotel and a civic meeting place for the African American community.  The 40th celebration of Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation celebration was held at “Hotel Jackson”.  Also in 1905, the local branch of the National Negro Men’s Business League used Hotel Jackson as their venue.

Not only was W N a hotel owner, but he also owned a Grocery Store at 200 N Payne Street.  He acquired large real estate holdings and was associated with three churches in his lifetime.  The first Church he belonged to in the 1870s was Shiloh Baptist Church, and he was one of the trustees.  Because of a strained relationship with the Church members, Wash left Shiloh Baptist Church.  With two of his associates, Moses Stevens and John A. Wilson, Wash founded and became a trustee of Mt. Jezreel Baptist Church in 1890.  By 1915, Wash and several other trustees were having problems.  He left Mt. Jezreel and became a member and trustee of Third Baptist Church, and remained at that church until his death in 1939.

Washington Jackson was born in Loudoun County, Virginia in 1856.  He was on the 1870 census in Alexandria, Virginia.  Wash married Elizabeth Lucas in 1885, and after her death in 1933, he married Mildred. 

He married twice, became a Merchant, Grocer, hotel owner, real estate owner, trustees of three churches, civic organizer, member of the National Association of Colored People (NAACP), member of the National Building Association of Baltimore City, MD and a private financial lender to African Americans.   He also owned stock in several associations.

When Shiloh Baptist Church hosted the colored Republicans congressional district of Virginia conference, W N Jackson presided over the conference and William A. Carter was the secretary.  Wash announced his organization’s endorsement of Colonel Theodore Roosevelt for President.

W N Jackson died on February 19, 1939 at his residence at 429 North West Street in Alexandria, Virginia.  In his last will and testament, he made his last generous gift.  Outside of Wash’s relatives, he gave his shares of stock that he owned in the Colored Fair Association of Fairfax, Virginia to the trustees of Third Baptist Church of Alexandria.  He was also very generous to the Taylor family.  He gave Catherine Taylor, Charles Taylor, Finley Taylor, Ellen Taylor and others $25 each in 1939. 

The descendants of the Taylor family still leave in Alexandria, Virginia.  They are the children of Mrs. Dorothy Napper Taylor.  This family is also the descendants of people who were buried at a Civil War Cemetery called the “Alexandria Freedmen Cemetery” on Washington and Church Streets.

For all his achievements, Wash was remembered in Alexandria, Virginia as “Hotel Jackson.”