PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Richard Stewart, the honorary “Mayor” of Pocahantas Island in Petersburg and tireless advocate for the island community’s history, has passed away, according to the city.
“The honorary mayor of Pocahontas Island deeply loved his home and his city,” the city wrote in a statement. “Beloved and respected by so many, he leaves an indelible, unmatched, and inspiring legacy to the City of Petersburg.”
Stewart was the founder of the Pocahontas Island Black History Museum, which documented the 200 years of Black history on the island.
Stewart, who was a retired veteran, purchased a home on the island and filled it with artifacts and stories of the community, which was once a hub for commerce on the James River. You can hear more about the museum — in Stewart’s own words — here.
“My name’s Stewart,” he said in an interview posted by the city. “And Stewarts have been in Petersburg all the way back into the 17th century.”
