Restoration in progress on historic social center for black residents during segregation.

Town of Blacksburg, Virginia - Building Specialists, Inc. is working on restoration project to turn this 100 year old St. Luke’s and Odd Fellows Hall on Gilbert Street into Blacksburg’s first museum. A roughly 400sqft building is being constructed to house the museum office and ADA restrooms. It is scheduled to be completed September 2009.

History of Structure: This was the cultural center for the community of New Town as well as for the entire African American population of Blacksburg during a time when their community was separated from the white community. It is the last surviving building of the New Town community, and as such, it is one of the most important buildings in Blacksburg. This building is representative of the struggle from the Civil War through Civil Rights. It was built by freed slaves, but its basis was in the fact that their freedom was not yet complete.