RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Community members are voicing their support for preserving the old Richmond Community Hospital in Richmond’s Northside, which may be demolished by Virginia Union University, which owns the land the hospital stands on.
The old Richmond Community Hospital, located on Overbrook Road, has been a staple in the Richmond community for nearly a century.
Established as the first Black-owned hospital in Richmond in 1907 by Sarah Garland Jones, MD, the first Black woman licensed to practice medicine in Virginia, Richmond Community Hospital used the building on Overbrook Road to provide healthcare for Black Richmonders from the 1930’s until it was moved to its current location in the city’s East End in the 1980’s.
Today, the land is owned by Virginia Union University, which is planning to build $40 million in new housing for its students with the help of a private investor. A university spokesperson told 8News that the building is “past its usable life” and that they are exploring ways to “best use its historical presence.”
For Richmond native and former Delegate Viola Baskerville, the building is more than a place to get healthcare — it was space where African Americans could come for treatment, and respect, for decades.
“It’s always hurt the community,” said Baskerville about the building being vacant. “You see it boarded up, it shouldn’t be boarded up. There’s detail in there, there’s structure there. It’s brick, it’s solid. Why can’t it be rehabilitated?”
1st District Richmond City Councilman Andreas Addison, who is currently running for Richmond Mayor, shared a statement on Monday voicing his support for preserving the building instead of demolishing it.
“Whenever we lose one of those buildings, it always is the hard part of our telling of our past,” said Addison. “And that’s one thing I think that most people care about.”
This weekend, Baskerville and others will meet in front of the building for the first of four times to speak about what the hospital means to them. More information about these gatherings can be found here.
