Gainsboro was the Roanoke’s first neighborhood in the mid-1800s and later served as the center of commercial, religious, and social life for Roanoke’s African-American community during the first half of the 20th century. The achievements of many residents of Gainsboro are noteworthy and deserving of recognition – early African-American doctors, lawyers, and diplomats.
Although redevelopment has erased many of the buildings and streets that once fostered this vibrant community, the history is rich, still evident, and needs to be told. The Gainsboro Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 2006. (source: https://roanokepreservation.org/historic-gainsboro-history-walk/)
Learn more at the Gainsboro History Project and from Jordan Bell, a Director at the William B. Robertson Initiative and passionate historian/activist. (Photo credit: Jordan Bell)
The William B. Robertson Initiative 