Lori Graham
Contributing Writer
The Blacksburg Town Council heard many comments by local community members concerning the preservation of St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall in Blacksburg at its June 27 meeting.
Latonya Walker of Blacksburg, a member of the Montgomery County Community Review Council (MCCRC) spoke with concern of the historic St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall and museum for African American culture and history, which has fallen into disrepair. The two-story building is located on the corner of Barger and Gilbert Street and was once also a place of social gatherings for African Americans in the area of Blacksburg known as New Town.
“My family has been a part of Blacksburg and Montgomery County since the early 1800s,” Walker said. “New Town and Odd Fellows Hall are important reminders of the resilience, pride and community spirit of the people who lived in this neighborhood.”
Christine King, also a member of the review council, addressed Blacksburg council members about the problems occurring today with the historic landmark of “institutional neglect and under preservation.”
The presentation by Walker and King also revealed the results of the Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Report stating that the building itself is no longer safe. Additionally, their presentation expressed problems in racial and gender diversity on the board, workplace harassment based on race and gender, and that Museum Best Practices and Standards are not being followed.
Potential resolutions to some of these issues asked for oversight from the Blacksburg Town Council. Mayor Julie Hager-Smith added that anyone wishing to follow-up with this organization can find these presented documents on the town’s website at www.blacksburg.gov.
Heather Nicholson, a resident of Montgomery County and also a member of the MCCRC, expressed her discontent as well with the Blacksburg Museum of Cultural Foundation’s “derelict[ion] of duty.”
“The Town of Blacksburg needs to recognize that this historic site opens a window into not only Blacksburg history, but Virginia and U.S. history,” Nicholson said. “Maggie L. Walker at the 1901 Independent Order of St. Luke Annual Convention laid out her goals. First, we need a savings bank, let us put our monies together. Let us use our money. Let us put our money out and reap the benefit ourselves.”
Nicholson went on to say that they purchased the bank through a joint-stock corporation and exemplifies the wealth of a community.
Jody Daniels, Chair of the History and Preservation Committee and a MCCRC member, shared additional information about the lack of protection and preservation of the building itself and artifacts housed inside the property. Daniels stated that among many issues that need to be addressed with the historical building and museum, the unsecured building has held artifacts in a non-climate-controlled environment since 2014. Additionally, the insurance policy for the property went unpaid during the years 2019-2021.
“The most egregious issues noted in the report was the poor treatment of rare objects found in the St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall,” Daniels said.
Some suggestions made by Daniels include, but are not limited to, hiring a professional museum curator with experience in African American culture and artifacts and establishing quality control reporting to the town of Blacksburg.
Nikki Giovanni, award-winning poet, activist, and Virginia Tech University Distinguished Professor Emerita, who resides in Christiansburg, echoed the previous comments of citizens public outcry to preserve and maintain the St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall.
“What are we afraid of in saving a building and dealing with the history of New Town?” Giovanni said. “It is something we should be proud of. This is a wonderful place to be.”
Dolores Walker of Radford, a student of the Christiansburg Institute, the historic segregated school for African Americans in the region, also addressed council.
“I’m trying to figure out how, piece by piece by piece, this town has leveled Black neighborhoods,” Walker said. “Now, I don’t know if it was institutionalized racism, but that is how I feel.”
Council member John Bush also serves as the liaison to the Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation Board. Bush agreed with the comments presented to council and thanked them for their commitment to be there. He also addressed the CAP report presented to Council, stating that they had received it about a month and a half ago.
“That report is fairly thorough; we are reviewing it now,” Bush said. “I think what we will do as I understand it, is form two subcommittees; one to take the recommendations of the Black house and the other to take the recommendations of the St. Luke’s and Odd Fellows Hall.”
Also at the June 27 meeting, the continued use of a chlorinated water mixture, fluorinated water, and lead in the citizens of Blacksburg’s public water were topics of concern for Gabrielle Parker of Blacksburg. According to Parker, the chlorine mixture is bad for leaded pipe systems.
“A scientist also discovered that chlorine can react with naturally occurring materials in water and create disinfection byproducts which have been known to cause cancer. These include THMs and TTHMs. These occur when the water is not being properly chlorinated,” Parker said.
Parker asked that Council tests the water for these water additives and contaminates.
The following resolutions were unanimously approved by the Blacksburg Town Council during Tuesday’s regular meeting and can be found on the agenda:
Resolution 6-C-23: A Resolution declaring the Town’s intention to reimburse itself from the Proceeds of One or More Financings for Public Improvements.
Resolution 6-D-23: A Resolution Transferring $695,000 between American Rescue Plan/Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Projects.
Resolution 6-E-23: A Resolution Writing off the Town’s uncollectible Water, Sewer and Refuse Service Receivables, Miscellaneous Receivables and Real Estate Taxes.
Resolution 6-F-23: A Resolution Authorizing the Waiver of Sidewalk Closing Fees in Downtown Blacksburg.
Council conducted several appointments as well during the Tuesday night regular meeting. The Blacksburg Planning Commission, the Blacksburg Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, the Board of Building Code Appeals, Zoning Appeals, the Business Relations Committee, Corridor Advisory Committee, Historic or Design Review Board, Public Arts Committee, and the Recreation Advisory Board.
“We have a Citizens Institute that takes place every spring, I think it is April, and we keep a running list of people who would like to be involved with that free activity. It runs about eight weeks and it is a deeply immersive education on how town systems work,” Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith said. “So, we really do work on citizen power.”
Vice Mayor Susan Anderson moved to approve all appointments as presented to Council, which are all found in the agenda. The appointments met with unanimous approval.
