I know you’ve heard of John Marshall, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for 34 years but have you heard of Maggie Walker? Probably not. I certainly hadn’t. But, we’re going to remedy that today. After the Confederate White House we planned to stop at the Maggie Walker NHS. We walked about 4 blocks and noticed that we were in front of the John Marshall house, the house of the Chief Justice of the US from 1801 to 1835. It is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but the Maggie Walker site is open every day. So we stopped in to tour this house to learn about John Marshall. Again we could take no pictures so I have only my memory to rely on - oh, no.
We had a very good tour guide who really knew a lot about John Marshall and had several good stories. Obviously, she talked mostly about his years as a Supreme Court Chief Justice and why he was so influential. But she had several good stories about his personality outside of being the Chief Justice. It seems that he always looked a bit disheveled - his appearance was not his first priority. Once he was walking the street in Richmond when a man asked Marshall if he would carry his groceries to his home - for payment. Marshall shrugged, took the groceries, carried them to the guy’s home got paid and was on his way. It wasn’t until later that the guy realized who his ‘grocery boy’ really was.
He used to pack his own clothes when he rode the circuit and once forgot to pack pants. Well, a judge’s robe covers a lot and he didn’t need pants for this trip.
He and Mrs. Marshall had 10 children but 4 died after a few months. She grew increasingly melancholy after this and often stayed indoors for days at a time. He and his wife seemed to be very much in love and he used to read to her every night to help her to sleep.
When he took ill, he was taken to Philadelphia for the excellent doctors there. His son was on the way there to see him but stopped in an inn for the night where, unfortunately, a chimney brick fell on him and he died - the same day as his father.
We were astonished to see that the house is mostly original - the only thing that has really been changed is the walls. They know what was on the walls but couldn’t duplicate the wall paper since it is no longer in print but can duplicate the paint colors. The furniture is original, the books, the linens etc. It stayed in the family until 1911 when it was sold to the city of Richmond and those who lived in the house since the Marshalls made no changes.
Finally, we rushed out of the Marshall house and on to the Maggie Walker house - since it closed at 5:00 and it was 4:00. We got there just in time to get a tour of the house but the Ranger was talking fast to get us through. Well, who’s Maggie Walker, you ask. Just as I did. I had never heard of her but that’s why we travel - to learn.
She was born in 1864 shortly before the end of the Civil War in Richmond, VA. Her mother, a former slave, was a cook in the home of wealthy socialite, Elizabeth Van Lew. (Elizabeth Van Lew was the ringleader of a cadre of Union spies in Richmond during the Civil War. She’s quite an interesting person in her own right.) After the war, Maggie helped her mother by collecting and delivering laundry to white customers but also attended school where she noticed that African-Americans and whites were treated differently. She participated in the first student school strike protesting this inequality. Meanwhile she joined the Independent Order of St. Luke, a self-help society within the African American community.
Her motto was: Reading and writing are like the wind - you can go anywhere.’
She married, had two sons and continued her participation in St Luke elected to the position of Grand Deputy Matron of her branch and then elected the Right Worthy Grand Secretary - its highest office. She established a newspaper, a bank, the St Luke Penny Savings Bank and a retail store. In 1915, after a series of sightings of possible thieves on the roof of the family home, her son saw a shadow of someone outside the bathroom window, grabbed the gun his father had recently bought, shot - and killed his father. It was ruled an accident but the son never got over it and later committed suicide.
In 1928 she was confined to a wheelchair with paralysis and in 1934 she died of diabetic gangrene. Very interesting woman, very successful and accomplished but she faced terrible times also. Her house was amazing - all 30 rooms of it. Yes, it was a large house although it didn’t look so large from the front.
She had a large library - here’s part of it.
Because she was in a wheelchair for the last years of her life, she had an elevator installed in the house to get her up to the second floor where here bedroom was.
She even had a unique skylight put in - just pull the cord to draw the drape back.
She had a unique history for an African American woman in the early part of the 20th Century. She was an entrepreneur, a businesswoman, an inspiration and added to her community immeasurably. .
‘The brain is a wonderful organ. It starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office.’
Anonymous
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