William S. Crump, Jr.
Mr. William Crump, Sr.'s barber shop on Armistead Avenue
Photo courtesy: Peggy Randall and Jacqueline Bridgeforth Williams
In this oral history, Mr. William S. Crump Jr. recalls growing up in the South Henry area of Williamsburg when it was a thriving Black neighborhood. He recounts working at his father, William Crump Sr.'s, barber shop on Armistead Avenue as a young man and being exposed to the political and social life of the community. Mr. Crump reflects on the loss of multiple Black neighborhoods across the city and offers memories of many Black residents of Williamsburg whose names appear on an early 20th century map of the city, created from the recollections of Mrs. Lydia Gardner and pictured below.
Interview with Mr. William S. Crump Jr. | Conducted by Amy Quark and Breyonna Rock | May 4, 2022 | The Village Initiative Collection
Mrs. Lydia Gardner provided her recollections of early 20th century Williamsburg to create the map below for the 300th Anniversary of the City of Williamsburg in 1999.
Zoom in to explore the Black homes and businesses across the city that Mr. William Crump mentions in his oral history.
Map-Pre-Restoration Williamsburg-Lydia Gardner.pdfCourtesy: City of Williamsburg