The Library of Virginia, in partnership with The JXN Project, has received a $282,975 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to support a new exhibition on the history of Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood. Titled “House to Highway: Reclaiming the Hidden History of Jackson Ward,” the exhibition highlights the pivotal role of Jackson Ward in the Black History, showcasing the neighborhood’s past through the lens of the Skipwith-Roper family.

The exhibition marks a major step forward for The JXN Project (JXN), a nonprofit dedicated to capturing and preserving the historic legacy of Jackson Ward. JXN Executive Director, Sesha Joi Moon emphasized the project’s goal to advance “restorative truth-telling and redemptive storytelling” as a means to preserve the area’s history.

“House to Highway” will be presented in two venues, starting with a 10-month installation at the Library of Virginia in 2025. A longer-term exhibition is planned for the reconstructed Skipwith-Roper Cottage in Jackson Ward, set to open in April 2026 as part of the neighborhood’s anniversary celebrations. A traveling version will also be available to public libraries and small museums across Virginia. This exhibition will explore more than 250 years of history, using maps, photographs and archival records to showcase the extraordinary legacy of Abraham Peyton Skipwith and his descendants, who were among the first Black homeowners in the area.

Jackson Ward, once a vibrant hub of Black economic and political power, was deeply impacted by the construction of the Richmond-Petersburg Turnpike in the 1940s. The project displaced over 1,000 families, including the last Black homeowners of the Skipwith-Roper Cottage. Research uncovered that the cottage was relocated rather than destroyed, and remnants of it still exist today. The JXN Project now plans to restore the cottage as part of a larger effort to reconstruct the area’s historic legacy.

JXN’s preservation work has gained significant momentum, with the organization raising $3.8 million toward a $5.68 million goal to fund the Skipwith-Roper Homecoming Campaign.

This initiative includes the reconstruction of the Skipwith-Roper Cottage and JXN Haus, a multi-functional research space with community programming. Notable contributors include the Mellon Foundation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation, among others.

Dr. Moon highlighted the importance of Jackson Ward’s reconstruction for the upcoming U.S. Semiquincentennial, noting that “1 in 4 Black Americans can retrace their roots to the rivers in the Richmond region.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the Skipwith-Roper Cottage and JXN Haus will take place on Sept. 28 with remarks from Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan and Mayor Levar M. Stoney.