Doctors Serving the Vinegar Hill Community
Seated: Dr. George Franklin Johnson, Mrs. Peachie Carr Johnson, and Mr. Conly Greer
Standing: Mrs. Emma Carr Clorinda, Mrs. Mary Carr Greer, and Fannie Carr Washington
Standing: Mrs. Emma Carr Clorinda, Mrs. Mary Carr Greer, and Fannie Carr Washington
In 1935, when Mama's Chicken & Dumplings takes place, the medical needs of Vinegar Hill residents were cared for by five African American physicians and dentists whose home offices or joint practices were either within the neighborhood or located in nearby neighborhoods of Charlottesville, Virginia, like Starr Hill and Fifeville.
The 1934 Hill’s Charlottesville, Virginia, City Directory names them: George Johnson, Edward Stratton, Jr., Bernard Coles, John Jackson, and Edgar Long, Jr.
Dr. George Franklin Johnson (1876-1945) was born in Orange County. He was a 1911 Howard University medical school graduate who practiced at his home office at 123 4th St. NW in Charlotteville for 30 years. He married Peachie Suporah Carr (1889-1977), an Albemarle native, in 1914.
According to a participant at Family Photo Day held at the University of Virginia on March 9, 2019, the man in the photo below is that of Dr. Johnson. However, when I showed the image to Charlottesville native and longtime Jefferson School educator, Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price, whose mind is as sharp as ever at 97 years, she said with certainty that it was not Dr. Johnson.
I also shared the photo with Peachie Carr's grandniece and her grandnephew's wife. Neither ladies recognized the man in the photo as Dr. Johnson. So I'm pretty sure the photo below has been misidentified, but wanted to include it here anyway. Above however, is the photo the Carr-Geer family shared with me, in which they identified Dr. Johnson as sitting next to his wife, Peachie.
The 1934 Hill’s Charlottesville, Virginia, City Directory names them: George Johnson, Edward Stratton, Jr., Bernard Coles, John Jackson, and Edgar Long, Jr.
Dr. George Franklin Johnson (1876-1945) was born in Orange County. He was a 1911 Howard University medical school graduate who practiced at his home office at 123 4th St. NW in Charlotteville for 30 years. He married Peachie Suporah Carr (1889-1977), an Albemarle native, in 1914.
According to a participant at Family Photo Day held at the University of Virginia on March 9, 2019, the man in the photo below is that of Dr. Johnson. However, when I showed the image to Charlottesville native and longtime Jefferson School educator, Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price, whose mind is as sharp as ever at 97 years, she said with certainty that it was not Dr. Johnson.
I also shared the photo with Peachie Carr's grandniece and her grandnephew's wife. Neither ladies recognized the man in the photo as Dr. Johnson. So I'm pretty sure the photo below has been misidentified, but wanted to include it here anyway. Above however, is the photo the Carr-Geer family shared with me, in which they identified Dr. Johnson as sitting next to his wife, Peachie.
Photo likely misidentified as George Franklin Johnson, M.D.
Peachie Carr Johnson (later Jackson) was a teacher in Orange County for two years then at Jefferson School in Charlottesville for decades. She graduated from Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute (now Virginia State College) with a teaching degree in 1912. In 1933, she obtained a bachelors of science degree from the same university. Later, Peachie did graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Dr. George F. Johnson in company with Mrs. Mary Greer motored to Virginia State College at Petersburg, to witness the Commencement exercises. Mrs. Peachie C. Johnson was a member of the graduating class." *
Besides being a teacher, Peachie Carr Johnson was a civic minded individual who was quite involved in various literary and social clubs as well as benevolent societies organized by Charlottesville's African American women. From 1954-58, she was the president of the Virginia Federation of Colored Women's Clubs. I'm sure you'll find the primary research that's been done by the Ivy Creek Foundation about Peachie's family, the Carr and Greer Families, quite fascinating. I certainly did! (Find it HERE.)
According to Peachie's obituary, Dr. Johnson died suddenly in 1945.
According to Peachie's obituary, Dr. Johnson died suddenly in 1945.
Howard University Dentistry Class, circa 1900
Seen below is Dr. John Andrew Jackson (1888-1956). According to the 1934 Hill's Directory he was living at 125 4th Street NW, next door to Dr. Johnson, and practicing dentistry at 406 Commerce Street NW, right across from Jefferson School. Dr. Jackson received his D.D.S. degree from Howard University in 1913.
Dr. Jackson's wife's name was Otelia Love (1889-1966). Otelia was actively involved in civic organizations serving the African American community of Charlottesville. The Jacksons had seven children--five sons and two daughters. Two of their sons Ellard "Punjab" Jackson and George Franklin Jackson became dentists like their father. The entire Jackson family was quite involved in volunteering with the National Association of Colored Dentists, now the National Dental Association, a professional organization founded in the 1900s by Dr. David Arthur Ferguson of Richmond, Virginia.
Dr. Jackson's wife's name was Otelia Love (1889-1966). Otelia was actively involved in civic organizations serving the African American community of Charlottesville. The Jacksons had seven children--five sons and two daughters. Two of their sons Ellard "Punjab" Jackson and George Franklin Jackson became dentists like their father. The entire Jackson family was quite involved in volunteering with the National Association of Colored Dentists, now the National Dental Association, a professional organization founded in the 1900s by Dr. David Arthur Ferguson of Richmond, Virginia.
John Andrew Jackson, D.D.S.
In addition to their city property, the Jacksons owned 82 acres of farmland that was just outside the city. Dr. Jackson's father, Andrew W. Jackson, once had a working farm there. The land was located within a bustling, rural African American community called Hydraulic Mills-Union Ridge. During the summer months, Dr. Jackson, who was scoutmaster of Charlottesville's African American Troop No. 15, allowed his land in the country to be used by the local African American Boy Scouts who camped, gardened, competed, and swam there.
"Week before last, our city was host to the Old Dominion Dental Society. What an asset this convention wasmto our city. If nothing else were enumerated, the inspiration allotted to our young people is really worthy of note. Without any attempt at exaggeration I have heard about ten young men and women express their desire to become dentists. Dr. J. A. Jackson and Dr. B. A. Coles deserve great credit for their unselfishness in planning the public meeting. . ." **
Dr. Bernard A. Coles (1894-1971) a dentist, and Dr. Edgar A. Long, Jr., a physician, took care of the needs of their patients in an office located inside Vinegar Hill at 271½ West Main Street. Most likely, Dr. Long also visited infirm and ill patients in their homes. According to the 1934 Hill's Directory, Dr. Coles lived at 313 8th St. NW in Charlottesville with his wife Ruth, and Dr. Long, Jr. lived at 321 6th St. SW with his wife Marie. (The directory also lists another couple as living at the same home--Lloyd and Mary Tonsler.)
Dr. Coles along with Dr. Jackson awarded graduating seniors of Jefferson School who had maintained the highest average in English with a five dollar gold piece, and awarded a five dollar prize for the best essay written by a student in any class!
Dr. Coles along with Dr. Jackson awarded graduating seniors of Jefferson School who had maintained the highest average in English with a five dollar gold piece, and awarded a five dollar prize for the best essay written by a student in any class!
Edward W. Stratton, Jr., M.D. Dr. Edward W. Stratton Jr. was listed in the directory as practicing at his home at 206 6th Street NW. His wife's name was Marguerite. As a volunteer in the 1930s, he served as the physician for Jefferson School's football team. On the left is an image of him cropped from a photo that was taken with the undefeated Jefferson School football team in 1935.
Just who was Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr.? More research needs to be done. But I wonder if he was the son of Edward W. Stratton who was the son of a Samuel Stratton, an African American clerk who built his family's home in Columbia, South Carolina in 1887. I also wonder if he was the young man with the same name who was listed in Howard University's 1933 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity roster.
I was truly delighted to discover from Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price that I was correct in assuming that Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. of Vinegar Hill was the same Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. who was a prominent obstetrician in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s. And when I showed her a picture that I found of that Dr. Stratton (HERE), she quickly said, yes, it's him! And she should know. Dr. Stratton was her "godfather" who saw his patients in a basement office located in her family's basement, and who ate supper with her family every night!
Just who was Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr.? More research needs to be done. But I wonder if he was the son of Edward W. Stratton who was the son of a Samuel Stratton, an African American clerk who built his family's home in Columbia, South Carolina in 1887. I also wonder if he was the young man with the same name who was listed in Howard University's 1933 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity roster.
I was truly delighted to discover from Mrs. Teresa Walker Jackson Price that I was correct in assuming that Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. of Vinegar Hill was the same Dr. Edward W. Stratton, Jr. who was a prominent obstetrician in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s. And when I showed her a picture that I found of that Dr. Stratton (HERE), she quickly said, yes, it's him! And she should know. Dr. Stratton was her "godfather" who saw his patients in a basement office located in her family's basement, and who ate supper with her family every night!
I really enjoyed finding out more about the physicians and dentists whose names were marked with a "C" in Hill's 1934 Directory (indicating their color). Learning even just a little about them, their wives, and families filled me with something akin to familial pride. And I felt it not just for them, but for all those back then who were professionals serving their communities--though they were born just a generation away from the Dark Days of Slavery.
As Charlottesville newspaper man T. J. Sellers, said: "They deported themselves with a decorum, born of culture and dignity."
It was my privilege to shine a small light on them by naming the doctor in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Dr. Stratton.
As Charlottesville newspaper man T. J. Sellers, said: "They deported themselves with a decorum, born of culture and dignity."
It was my privilege to shine a small light on them by naming the doctor in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Dr. Stratton.
Photo Credits
1. Carr-Greer Family Photo. Courtesy Helen Theodosia Lemons.
2. "Untitled" Photo: Ralph W. Holsinger. April 4, 1912. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID 39856, neg. no. X00167A, accessed August 29, 2023.
3. Howard University Dentistry Class. Photo: William Edward Burghardt, circa 1900. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Control NO. 2002695672, accessed August 29, 2023.
4. John Andrew Jackson. Found in History of the American Negro & His Institutions: Virginia by A.B. Caldwell, January 1921: A.B. Caldwell Publishing, Atlanta, GA, p. 438, accessed August 29, 2023.
5. Edward W. Stratton Jr. Photo (cropped from 1935 Jefferson School Undefeated Football Team): Ralph W. Holsinger, 1935. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID. 41491, neg. no. Y21177B2, accessed August 29, 2023.
6. Surgical Kit. Photo: Marjory Collins, February 1943. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Call No.LC-USW3- 017701-D, accessed August 30, 2023.
2. "Untitled" Photo: Ralph W. Holsinger. April 4, 1912. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID 39856, neg. no. X00167A, accessed August 29, 2023.
3. Howard University Dentistry Class. Photo: William Edward Burghardt, circa 1900. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Control NO. 2002695672, accessed August 29, 2023.
4. John Andrew Jackson. Found in History of the American Negro & His Institutions: Virginia by A.B. Caldwell, January 1921: A.B. Caldwell Publishing, Atlanta, GA, p. 438, accessed August 29, 2023.
5. Edward W. Stratton Jr. Photo (cropped from 1935 Jefferson School Undefeated Football Team): Ralph W. Holsinger, 1935. Holsinger Studio Collection, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia, Image ID. 41491, neg. no. Y21177B2, accessed August 29, 2023.
6. Surgical Kit. Photo: Marjory Collins, February 1943. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Call No.LC-USW3- 017701-D, accessed August 30, 2023.
- I have diligently sought to establish and contact the copyright owners of the images used in my #NFPosts. Those on this page, I believe, are used within the confines of fair use, and/or are in the public domain.
Bibliography
"A Spirit of No Boundaries." Dental Economics, February 2014, p. 14, accessed August 28, 2023.
African-American Genealogy Group. "About the J.F. Bell Funeral Home and Family." The Virginia Center for Digital History, accessed August 29, 2023.
Central Virginia History Researchers. "The Hydraulic Mills / Union Ridge Community." Accessed August 29, 2023.
CVillepedia. "B. A. Coles." Accessed August 29, 2023.
*"Dr. Geo. R. Ferguson." Journal of the National Medical Association. February 25, 1933, volume 1, pp. 36–37, accessed August 24, 2023.
Ezell, Ray. "Review of Black Boy Scouting in Central Virginia, 1915-1949." Central Virginia Boy Scouting Preservation Project, accessed August 29, 2023.
Heritage Trails, No. 3. "Dr. John A. Jackson Home & Office: 125 Fourth Street NW." accessed August 29, 2023.
Howard University. The Bison, 1933, p. 107, accessed August 29, 2023.
Obituary of Dr. George Franklin Jackson, D.D.S. Dignity Memorial, accessed August 29, 2023.
Jet, December 17, 1973, page 14, accessed August 29, 2023.
Kessler, Bryan S. "David Arthur Ferguson (1875–1935)." Dictionary of Virginia Biography, Library of Virginia, 2015, accessed August 29, 2023.
Miller, Ed. "Excluded Elsewhere: UVA’s First Black Students Found Community of their Own." The UVA Magazine, Summer 2021, p. 47, accessed August 29, 2023.
Monroe, Bruce, Orange County historian. Email Correspondence, September 21, 2023.
Munro, Julia F. "Dr. Johnson." Holsinger Portrait Project. University of Virginia, February 17, 2022, accessed August 23, 2023.
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. "Waverly Historic District." National Park Service, November 16, 1989, accessed August 29, 2023.
** Sellers, Thomas. "Old Dominion Dental Society." Reflector, April 21, 1934, issue no. 37, p. 4, col. 1, accessed August 29, 2023.
Yager, Jordy. "Black Land, Black Schools & Eminent Domain." Mapping Albemarle/Mapping CVille, January 19, 2021, accessed August 29, 2023.
African-American Genealogy Group. "About the J.F. Bell Funeral Home and Family." The Virginia Center for Digital History, accessed August 29, 2023.
Central Virginia History Researchers. "The Hydraulic Mills / Union Ridge Community." Accessed August 29, 2023.
CVillepedia. "B. A. Coles." Accessed August 29, 2023.
*"Dr. Geo. R. Ferguson." Journal of the National Medical Association. February 25, 1933, volume 1, pp. 36–37, accessed August 24, 2023.
Ezell, Ray. "Review of Black Boy Scouting in Central Virginia, 1915-1949." Central Virginia Boy Scouting Preservation Project, accessed August 29, 2023.
Heritage Trails, No. 3. "Dr. John A. Jackson Home & Office: 125 Fourth Street NW." accessed August 29, 2023.
Howard University. The Bison, 1933, p. 107, accessed August 29, 2023.
Obituary of Dr. George Franklin Jackson, D.D.S. Dignity Memorial, accessed August 29, 2023.
Jet, December 17, 1973, page 14, accessed August 29, 2023.
Kessler, Bryan S. "David Arthur Ferguson (1875–1935)." Dictionary of Virginia Biography, Library of Virginia, 2015, accessed August 29, 2023.
Miller, Ed. "Excluded Elsewhere: UVA’s First Black Students Found Community of their Own." The UVA Magazine, Summer 2021, p. 47, accessed August 29, 2023.
Monroe, Bruce, Orange County historian. Email Correspondence, September 21, 2023.
Munro, Julia F. "Dr. Johnson." Holsinger Portrait Project. University of Virginia, February 17, 2022, accessed August 23, 2023.
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. "Waverly Historic District." National Park Service, November 16, 1989, accessed August 29, 2023.
** Sellers, Thomas. "Old Dominion Dental Society." Reflector, April 21, 1934, issue no. 37, p. 4, col. 1, accessed August 29, 2023.
Yager, Jordy. "Black Land, Black Schools & Eminent Domain." Mapping Albemarle/Mapping CVille, January 19, 2021, accessed August 29, 2023.
