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John Mitchell Jr. was a significant figure in late 19th and early 20th-century African American activism, journalism, and politics. Born into slavery near Richmond, Virginia, Mitchell attended the Richmond Colored Normal & High School and worked as a teacher. He then pursued a career in journalism, becoming editor of the Richmond Planet in 1884. Through the newspaper, Mitchell advocated for civil rights, racial justice, and racial pride, becoming a leading figure in the antilynching movement. Known as “the Fighting Editor” for his outspoken activism, Mitchell often supported self-defense and bold protest tactics. In addition to his journalistic work, Mitchell served on the Richmond City Council (1888–1896) and founded the Mechanics Savings Bank in 1902. He ran for governor in 1921 on a “Lily Black” ticket after being excluded from the state Republican Party convention but was unsuccessful. Mitchell remained editor of the Planet until his death in 1929.
His bank, The Mechanics Savings Bank, was a key institution for the African American community in Richmond, Virginia, founded in 1902. Like the Savings Bank of the True Reformers or the St. Luke's Penny Savings Bank, it was established to provide financial services to Black residents, who were often excluded from mainstream banks due to the pervasive racial segregation of the time. The bank was a product of the growing need for Black-owned businesses and financial institutions that could offer services like savings accounts, loans, and insurance to African Americans, who faced systemic discrimination in many aspects of life, including banking. The venture ended in 1922.
In addition to its core banking services, the Mechanics Savings Bank also played a significant role as a landlord and property owner within the Black community of Richmond. The bank invested in real estate, acquiring and managing properties that were rented to African American families and businesses, offering them much-needed access to housing and commercial space in a segregated city. By owning property, the bank not only diversified its financial portfolio but also contributed to the economic stability and growth of the Black community, fostering a sense of permanence and ownership in an era of widespread racial discrimination.
Here are some of those properties, below.
Mechanics Saving Bank
Offices of the Richmond Planet
Offices of the Richmond Planet
Founded in 1882, The Richmond Planet aimed to provide a voice for the Black community, which was often marginalized and excluded from mainstream media. Initially located at 814 East Broad St, in the old Swan Tavern, the Planet relocated by 1889 to an upper room at 311 North 4th St, near the corner of Fourth and Broad Streets. It was commissioned by thirteen formerly enslaved men—James H. Hayes, James H. Johnston, E.R. Carter, Walter Fitzhugh, Henry Hucles, Albert V. Norrell, Benjamin A. Graves, James E. Merriweather, Edward A. Randolph, William H. Andrews, and Reuben T. Hill. This publication would go on to play a pivotal role in shaping the views of African Americans in Richmond, the state of Virginia, and across the nation.
Under the leadership of John Mitchell Jr., the Planet gained a reputation for its bold reporting, unwavering stance on racial justice, and advocacy for Black economic and political empowerment. The newspaper not only informed and mobilized African Americans in the South but also played a key role in the broader civil rights movement.
John Mitchell, Jr Residence
John Mitchell, Jr Residence
This was Mitchell’s home at 515 North Third Street. It was located two doors down from the original bank location. Mitchell lived in this house throughout his adult life, first with his mother until her untimely passing in 1913, and later with other family members. It is here that he died in 1929.
In 2000, the house was moved to its current location at Third and Jackson. It is one of the few buildings on N Third Street that was spared from the demolition caused by Urban Renewal and Project One; and is one of three former residences that remain on the entire street. The house is now at the edge of the VCU Biotechnology Complex, surrounded by parking lots, an isolated, inexplicable remnant—an out-of-place survivor of a once-thriving neighborhood, stripped of its original context and meaning.
Knight of Pythias Castle
Knight of Pythias Castle
Originally housed in the original Mechanics Savings Bank, this building was home to the Knights of Pythias Castle. The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal benevolent society founded in 1864 by Justus H. Rathbone in Washington, D.C., originally created to heal the divisions between the North and South following the Civil War. Inspired by the Greek myth of Damon and Pythias, the organization adopted the motto “Friendship, Charity, and Benevolence” and aimed to promote universal peace and harmony among men. Its mission included providing vital community services such as insurance, burial assistance, and other welfare activities. The Knights of Pythias expanded rapidly, establishing lodges across the United States, and in 1870, it became the first fraternal order in the U.S. to be chartered and incorporated by an Act of Congress.
However, African American men were initially excluded from membership in the Knights of Pythias, prompting the formation of the Colored Knights of Pythias. The Colored Pythians began organizing in 1870 after repeated rejections of Black applicants. Led by Dr. Thomas W. Stringer, a prominent African American minister and politician, the Colored Knights sought to emulate the goals and functions of the original Knights but with a racially inclusive membership. The Colored Pythians were open to Black and Asian members, and the organization mirrored the white Knights’ services, offering benefits like insurance and burial assistance.
In Richmond, John Mitchell Jr. played a prominent role in the Knights of Pythias in Richmond, serving as a leader and advocate for the organization’s growth within the African American community.
After the dissolution of the knights, this building would become the Odd Fellow's Hall.
4 W Broad Street
4 W Broad Street
This property owned by the Mechanics Savings Bank was originally brought for $11,500 and was sold by 1923 for $25,000. In its tenure as a Mechanics Savings Bank Property, it held the G. B. Cocke and G. H. McCaul Shoe Store. It was also briefly the home of Harvey's Florist in 1895 and the St. Luke's Dry Goods Store, before it moved to 112 E Broad St. in 1905.
310 E Broad Street
310 E Broad Street
This building was purchased by the Mechanic's Saving Bank in 1905 for $17,750. It was once home to the Liebert & Sutherland Furniture Store (1907), Boston Chemical Co. (1904). The bank would sell the property in 1921 for $60,000. It is the present home to the 707 haberdashery.
Sources
Sources
"About Richmond Planet." Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Accessed January 13, 2025. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025841/.
"Colored Woman Burns to Death." Richmond TImes-Dispatch. December 13, 1913. Page 12, col. 5.
Hill's Richmond City Directory. Richmond, VA: Hill Directory Company, 1895–1907.
"John Mitchell, Jr, and the Richmond Planet." Library of Virginia. Accessed January 13, 2025. https://www.lva.virginia.gov/exhibits/jmj/.
McCrery, Anne, Errol Somay, and Dictionary of Virginia Biography. "John Mitchell Jr. (1863–1929)." Encyclopedia Virginia. Accessed January 13, 2025. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/mitchell-john-jr-1863-1929/.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Richmond, Independent Cities, Virginia. Sanborn Map Company, -1925 Vol. 2, 1925, 1925. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn09064_007/.
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