$285,634Average Value$201Average Price per Sq Ft7Homes For Sale
Historic neighborhood on the Southside of Richmond
Blackwell is a resilient enclave in Richmond’s Southside with a rich history of community involvement. Named after James H. Blackwell, the neighborhood honors his civil rights leadership and tenure as principal of Manchester's first school for African American students; he then ran two businesses to help Black Manchester residents buy insurance policies for the land and homes they purchased. The community renamed the school and neighborhood in his honor in 1951. This tight-knit neighborhood was also the home of Dorothy Height, Reverend Anthony Binga Jr. and other notable civil rights leaders. Initially a blue-collar residential area for workers in the factories of Manchester along the James River in the 18th and 19th centuries, Manchester became known as a hub for Black businesses in Richmond. This holds true today, evidenced by the many Black-owned restaurants along Hull Street. Blackwell native for over 50 years and Bishop of Destiny Community Church, Ernest L. Moore, says, “They don’t talk about [how] this is where Black people were entrepreneurs in Richmond, much of the city’s educators came from Blackwell as well.” Moore says that though Blackwell locals have a lot of pride, outreach is needed to match it. There is a rich bond between Blackwell residents, built from the history and events that pull neighbors together.
Blackwell's events define the community
The pride and joy of Blackwell is Manchester Manifest, a festival in town that runs down Hull Street, usually the first Friday of each month in the summer. Manchester Manifest supports local vendors who operate during the festival and is an excellent way for residents to socialize and enjoy food, drinks and live music on Richmond's humid summer days. The Blackwell Community Center, located on the elementary school’s grounds, is a central gathering area in the neighborhood. Residents of all ages can attend art classes, play a pickup football game or access the center's computer lab. Many of the activities welcome drop-in attendance. The Hull Street Branch of the Richmond Public Library also hosts educational events. But beyond that, as Moore says, “Most of our social engagements are in people’s backyards, cookouts and what have you.”
Grab food from one of several beloved restaurants on Hull Street
Hull Street is home to most of Blackwell's commercial establishments, including several restaurants that are popular with Richmonders from all over the city. Locals can head to renowned Black-owned restaurants like Croaker's Spot for seafood specials and honey-drizzled cornbread or Pig and Brew for smoked barbecue with a happy hour special for cocktails and sliders. The newer Red Hibachi & Beer serves flattop grilled takeout hibachi with several house sauces. Head further down the street for a casual takeout lunch at MO Carry Out, locally called “Mo’s,” offering cheesesteaks and fried fish platters. The area has also historically had a lack of access to fresh food, and the only retail in the neighborhood is a Family Dollar. But Moore says attempts are being made to bring fresh produce close to home, “We’re trying to work with Virginia Community Voices to build community gardens.”
Many of Blackwell's homes have stood here for a century
Blackwell has historically experienced discriminatory lending practices, which slowed investment in the area’s housing. Many homes in Blackwell are priced below the city's average, with the prices usually ranging from $175,000 to $375,000, depending on age, remodel status and square footage. Many of Blackwell's original homes date back to 1919 and tend to be smaller, usually two bedrooms and 1,000 square feet for ranches and bungalow styles. Buyers can also find Craftsman new construction homes on occasion. The city launched the Neighborhoods in Bloom project in 1999; it designated Blackwell as one of seven neighborhoods set to receive federal grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Though this is a majority-renter neighborhood, single-family homes are more prevalent here than apartment buildings. Moore talks about how for Blackwell, “The challenge has been how to empower existing residents. We need more remodeling and education for our seniors, with tax abatements and property values beginning to rise.”
Blackwell's historic church has been open for more than two centuries
The First Baptist Church of South Richmond is within Blackwell and connects the area's history with the neighborhood's present. The church hosts community events, from bowling events for young adults to an annual Church Anniversary celebration commemorating more than 200 years of service. First Baptist Church is the oldest independent Black church in Richmond, opening its doors for the first time in 1821. One of the pastors here was another notable Blackwell civic leader, Dr. Anthony Binga, who worked with James Blackwell as a teacher after the Civil War.
Blackwell local green spaces, with nearby Manchester Floodwall Walk
Charlie Sydnor Playground, also called Blackwell Park, is the neighborhood's main green space, with a football field and bleachers. Schoolkids from Blackwell Elementary across the street often put up construction paper cutouts of cars, houses and inspiring words on the Blackwell Park fence every year to decorate this neighborhood space. The community also has the public Blackwell Pool for a cool dip on a hot summer day, but be sure to bring an umbrella, as there is little shade on the pool deck. Nearby Richmond locales include Buttermilk Trail and the Manchester Floodwall Walk, two hiking paths with sweeping James River views within a mile of Blackwell's borders. Local anglers enjoy fishing for perch, striper and other species from the Mayo Island Bridge, day and night. Potential homebuyers should be advised that this neighborhood has a 7 out of 10 score on the CAP Crime Index.
J.H. Blackwell Elementary School is the only Richmond public school within the Blackwell community and has a C-minus rating on Niche. It shares a gymnasium with the Blackwell Community Center and is central to the community's history. Former principal James Blackwell was demoted to a schoolteacher in 1910, when Manchester was annexed into the City of Richmond, where discriminatory laws prevented Black people from being principals. The school was dedicated to him for his tireless service to Blackwell’s students despite these unjust rules. Students living in Blackwell will advance to Dogwood Middle School in the Fan District and Armstrong High School in East Highland Park, both of which have a C-minus overall rating from Niche.
Take Mayo Island Bridge to downtown Richmond
“Blackwell is a vital part of Southside. For anything south of the James, Hull Street, Maury Street and Richmond Highway are major transit routes,” Moore says. He also has some updates about new city initiatives in the neighborhood: “The Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, which I work for, is getting ready to reconfigure the upper part of Hull Street for safety improvements to the traffic lights.” Blackwell commuters can take Hull Street to Mayo Bridge to reach downtown Richmond’s employers, museums and restaurants in less than 2 miles. Insider tip: Take a left from here onto Mayo Island for a plate at Chef Pescado Catering, a food truck serving a changing weekly menu of comfort food staples; it could be shrimp and steak hibachi one week or lamb chops with yams and mac and cheese the next. Several Richmond Pulse buses run up and down Hull Street and Maury Street, meaning locals can hop on a free city bus at Blackwell's north and south boundaries. Drivers can take Maury Street four blocks north to bustling Interstate 95 and the rest of the East Coast.
GreatSchools:
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On average, homes in Blackwell, Richmond sell after 26 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Blackwell, Richmond over the last 12 months is $320,500, up 3% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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