The exhibit, which will be available throughout 2021, showcases a reproduction of the T.C. Walker mural from Main Street, Gloucester. It includes photographs, archival documents and other objects allowing guests to explore Walker’s fascinating life.
Thomas Calhoun Walker, the first African American to practice law in Gloucester, is a well-known historical figure in the county. Among many accomplishments, he served as a superintendent for Gloucester Negro Schools and as a member of the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors. His former home, on Main Street, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“Born enslaved, Walker lived through the Reconstruction and Jim Crow eras and did great things to help African Americans in Gloucester and across the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said museums coordinator Robert Kelly. “His legacy still calls on us to take action and help those in our own community.”
The exhibit includes an audio/visual component featuring mural artist Michael Rosato demonstrating how the 84×20-foot design was painted in just two months. Also, an interactive opportunity enables guests to respond to a question relating Walker’s accomplishments and challenges to those from modern times.
“The Main Street mural introduces us to this important man and this exhibit digs deeper into the ten scenes from the mural,” Kelly said.
Special objects on display include a 100-year-old desk that is on loan from the Woodville Rosenwald School as well as documents from the archives of the Gloucester Museum of History, including a 1929 letter signed by Walker.
The Gloucester Museum of History partnered with the Cook Foundation, the Woodville Rosenwald School Foundation, and local stakeholders and volunteers to produce the exhibit.
The Gloucester Museum of History, 6539 Main Street, Gloucester, is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Admission is free.
