Lincolnsville

Q-8-2

African Americans acquired property in this area shortly after the Civil War and established the community of Lincolnsville, likely named for Pres. Abraham Lincoln. The City of Portsmouth annexed it from Norfolk County in 1894. Churches, schools, fraternal organizations, social clubs, and Black-owned businesses served the vibrant, close-knit community. Notable residents included educator I.C. Norcom, journalists Jeffrey T. Wilson and Lee F. Rodgers, and musician Graham W. Jackson Sr. Lincolnsville’s infrastructure had deteriorated by the mid-20th century. Despite opposition from residents, the city razed much of Lincolnsville under an urban renewal plan early in the 1960s.

Department of Historic Resources, 2022

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References/Bibliographic Citation:

“Under Virginia Law,” Norfolk Journal and Guide, Dec. 1959. Cassandra Newby-Alexander Ph.D., Mae Breckenridge-Haywood, and the African American Historical Society of Portsmouth, Black America Series: Portsmouth, Virginia (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003). “William Copeland History of Lincolnsville” (typescript). James Choate, “Some Little Known and Forgotten Facts about the City of Portsmouth--Lincolnsville,” 19 April 1938. “Lincolnsville Reunion” (1989). Norfolk Journal and Guide, 16 April 1955, 13 July, 2 Nov. 1957, 17 May, 15 Nov. 1958, 17 Sept. 1960, 4 Feb. 1961, 6 Jan. 1962. Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, 1 Jan., 29 March, 29 May 1962. 1889 map: https://1stuscoloredcavalry.files.wordpress.com/2019/11/thumbnail_lincolnville.jpg