The Fairgrounds
Area along East Washington Street between Pinner and Factory Street
The area between Pinner and Factory Streets formed a vibrant hub of the African American community. It was there that black people conducted their everyday business, visiting doctors, dentists, beauticians, lawyers, shopping, going to movies, restaurants and dance halls.
There was an unwritten rule, that attendance at church was required before relaxing on the Fairgrounds. After church services were over people relaxed and walked along East Washington Street. Over the years black Suffolkians enjoyed the pleasures of music, food and socializing at the Fairgrounds. Favorite haunts included The Silver Slipper, The Horseshoe Café, Blue Lagoon, Grady Backus Dance Hall, Porter’s Restaurant and Shoe Shop, Wimpy’s and Suffolk Professional Pharmacy.
There was an unwritten rule, that attendance at church was required before relaxing on the Fairgrounds. After church services were over people relaxed and walked along East Washington Street. Over the years black Suffolkians enjoyed the pleasures of music, food and socializing at the Fairgrounds. Favorite haunts included The Silver Slipper, The Horseshoe Café, Blue Lagoon, Grady Backus Dance Hall, Porter’s Restaurant and Shoe Shop, Wimpy’s and Suffolk Professional Pharmacy.
The Carver Theater342 East Washington Street | Building no longer standing
Originally known as the Broadway Theatre, it closed in the 1920s and reopened in the late 1930s. A contest was held to rename the theatre. A senior at Booker T. Washington High School, Iva Maidie, was awarded the $10 cash prize for suggesting the name Carver Theatre in honor of George Washington Carver.
|
|
|
Phoenix Bank of Nansemond341 East Washington Street | Building unoccupied
The Phoenix Bank of Nansemond, built in 1921, is representative of African-American commerce in Southeastern Virginia. The bank was founded by a group of African-American entrepreneurs in 1919 and served the African-American farmers and laborers of Suffolk and surrounding Nansemond County. The bank survived until 1931. During the first thirty years of the 20th century, many African-American banks prospered and failed across Virginia. Although the Phoenix Bank was one of several in the Tidewater area, it was the only one in Suffolk. It served as a focal point of community life in the Fairgrounds. Because of its cultural and historical significance, the Phoenix Bank of Nansemond was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
|
Horseshoe Café
374 East Washington Street | Building unoccupied
The restaurant was obtained by Mr. Joseph and Mrs. Perry Davis. The café’ was famously known for its Yock which was started by the previous owners. The café’ was such a popular place for banquets, meetings and parties that the restaurant would be books a year in advance. The restaurant closed in 1999 after Perry Davis, known locally as Mrs. Pearl passed away. Mrs. Pearl was known to help pay for medical bills for the unfortunate and helped students with scholarships.
|
|
Wimpy’s Confectionary
380 East Washington Street | Building unoccupied
Wimpy’s Confectionary opened in 1947 by Porter Walker, Winifred Benn and Kennard Roper III after serving in the military. The restaurant became a popular place to socialize. The restaurant got its name from Winifred Benn, whose nickname was Wimpy from the Popeye comic strip character.
|
Crocker Funeral Home900 East Washington Street
Founded in the early 1900s. The company continues to operate today as one of the oldest black businesses in Suffolk.
|
Suffolk Community HospitalMadison and Spruce Streets | Building no longer stands
The old Suffolk Community Hospital was founded in 1942 by the black physician Dr. William Hoffler. The hospital operated until 1952 when the Virginia State Hospital Board closed the hospital down due to poor structural and safety codes. It wasn’t until Louise Obici Memorial Hospital opened in 1951 that blacks had a hospital that would accept them for medical treatment along with white patients. In addition to accepting black patients onto their floors, Obici agreed to allow black physicians to practice at their facility.
|
Hoffler, Dr. W.M. Jul 3, 1946. Film Negative, 7x5 in.
Morgan Memorial Library, Hamblin Studio Photograph Collection, Suffolk, VA. |
Jordan Neighborhood House
Site no longer exists.
The Jordan Neighborhood House provided healthcare and education to the African American Community in Suffolk and old Nansemond County.
TE Cook Funeral Home
405 Johnson Avenue
Thomas Everette Cooke was a native of Bolton, Virginia. At an early age he learned the essential keys to success which are hard work and dedication. At the age of nine he was employed by the late Robert Washington Baker of R.W. Baker Funeral Home, where he was responsible for the care and maintenance of the horses and funeral coaches. By the time he was an adolescent, he was promoted to driving the hearse.
As Mr. Cooke continued to grow, so did his responsibilities with R.W. Baker Funeral Home. He was given the responsibility of arranging and planning the funeral services for the black cliental. It was during this time he unknowingly began to build a cliental, name and business reputation for himself that he would carry with him in his future endeavors. According to an article published by the Suffolk News Herald after his death, he had gained the respect and admiration of both whites and blacks in the city of Suffolk.
In 1923, Thomas E. Cooke established the T.E. Cooke Funeral Home. The location of his first establishment was on East Washington Street also known as the Fair Grounds. While on East Washington Street he worked diligently building his business. It was his dream to own and operate a state-of-the-art facility. In 1957 his dream became a reality. He relocated his business to a more modern and spacious facility at 405 Johnson Avenue (our current location).
Aside from the relocation of his business, he also embarked on a new business, Cooke Ambulance Service. This service was owned and operated by him and was the city’s only medical transport until the development of the Nansemond/ Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Mr. Cooke dedicated his life to making and ensuring that the professional services of T.E Cooke Funeral Home the zenith of success. Sadly on February 3, 1962, Mr. Thomas E. Cooke passed away. The legacy he left behind resonates as of today that T.E. Cooke Funeral Home was and is the leading funeral home in Suffolk. His wife, Lessie M. Cooke continued the business until her death in 1968.
During the past 90 years, the firm has been sold three times. In 1980 the Cooke Family sold ownership rights to the late Bishop Levi Willis, Sr. During Bishop Willis tenure the name of the business was changed to T.E. Cooke- Twilight Funeral Home. In 1986, the funeral home was sold to Isaac O. Willis (Bishop Willis brother) and the name remained. In May of 1998, Cora A. Overton purchased the funeral home from Willis' widow and changed the name to what it is known as today: T.E. Cooke- Overton Funeral Home, Inc.
Three months after Mrs. Overton purchased the establishment, it was destroyed by fire and had to be rebuilt. In 2000 the doors of the new T.E. Cooke- Overton Funeral Home, Inc. were re-opend to serve Suffolk and its surrounding cities, as well as North Carolina. As of today our firm still continues to preserve the T.E. Cooke vision and legacy by extending to the patrons that request our services, top notch, premiere, professional and dignified services.
Mr. Cooke was a business man that exemplified innovation, improvement, enhancement and expansion. We too have taken on those attributes in his honor by not only upgrading our level of services, facility and products; but we have also formed a partnership with Carver Memorial Cemetery and invested in the T.E. Cooke-Overton Garden I & Garden II.”
Excerpted from TE Cook Website
As Mr. Cooke continued to grow, so did his responsibilities with R.W. Baker Funeral Home. He was given the responsibility of arranging and planning the funeral services for the black cliental. It was during this time he unknowingly began to build a cliental, name and business reputation for himself that he would carry with him in his future endeavors. According to an article published by the Suffolk News Herald after his death, he had gained the respect and admiration of both whites and blacks in the city of Suffolk.
In 1923, Thomas E. Cooke established the T.E. Cooke Funeral Home. The location of his first establishment was on East Washington Street also known as the Fair Grounds. While on East Washington Street he worked diligently building his business. It was his dream to own and operate a state-of-the-art facility. In 1957 his dream became a reality. He relocated his business to a more modern and spacious facility at 405 Johnson Avenue (our current location).
Aside from the relocation of his business, he also embarked on a new business, Cooke Ambulance Service. This service was owned and operated by him and was the city’s only medical transport until the development of the Nansemond/ Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad.
Mr. Cooke dedicated his life to making and ensuring that the professional services of T.E Cooke Funeral Home the zenith of success. Sadly on February 3, 1962, Mr. Thomas E. Cooke passed away. The legacy he left behind resonates as of today that T.E. Cooke Funeral Home was and is the leading funeral home in Suffolk. His wife, Lessie M. Cooke continued the business until her death in 1968.
During the past 90 years, the firm has been sold three times. In 1980 the Cooke Family sold ownership rights to the late Bishop Levi Willis, Sr. During Bishop Willis tenure the name of the business was changed to T.E. Cooke- Twilight Funeral Home. In 1986, the funeral home was sold to Isaac O. Willis (Bishop Willis brother) and the name remained. In May of 1998, Cora A. Overton purchased the funeral home from Willis' widow and changed the name to what it is known as today: T.E. Cooke- Overton Funeral Home, Inc.
Three months after Mrs. Overton purchased the establishment, it was destroyed by fire and had to be rebuilt. In 2000 the doors of the new T.E. Cooke- Overton Funeral Home, Inc. were re-opend to serve Suffolk and its surrounding cities, as well as North Carolina. As of today our firm still continues to preserve the T.E. Cooke vision and legacy by extending to the patrons that request our services, top notch, premiere, professional and dignified services.
Mr. Cooke was a business man that exemplified innovation, improvement, enhancement and expansion. We too have taken on those attributes in his honor by not only upgrading our level of services, facility and products; but we have also formed a partnership with Carver Memorial Cemetery and invested in the T.E. Cooke-Overton Garden I & Garden II.”
Excerpted from TE Cook Website
Suffolk Professional Pharmacy
|
362 E. Washington Street
James E. “Doc” Richards Sr. opened the pharmacy in 1954 and ran it until 1989. Doc Richards was a pioneering and savvy businessman. He was one of the first in the area to start a prescription delivery service. He also was an early supporter of the rescue squad and he represented his borough on the Suffolk Planning Commission.
|
|