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Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum

Portsmouth, United States of America

Portsmouth Colored Community Library Museum

Portsmouth Community Library, also known as the Portsmouth Colored Community Library, is a historic library building located at Portsmouth, Virginia. It was built in 1945 at 804 South Street. It is a one-story, three-bay, brick building with a hipped roof. It was built to provide for the reading nee

ds of Portsmouth's African Americans. Bertha Edwards was the first librarian, and was a key to its success as she raised funds for the library. In 1959, two local dentists, Dr. James Holley and Dr. Hugo A. Owens, successfully sued the City of Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Public Library to integrate the public library, which resulted in the closure of the Portsmouth Community Library. The building has been relocated twice since it was closed in 1962 after integration of the public library system; first in 1967 to the parking lot of Ebenezer Baptist Church, 730 Effingham Street, then since August 2007, it has been located at the present location, 904 Elm Avenue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. The library is now operated as a museum of local African-American history by the City of Portsmouth. Displays include photographs and memorabilia, as well as African...

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