MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Fayette Street once stood as a hub of commerce and culture for Martinsville’s African American community — so much so that many called it the “Black Wall Street of Southside Virginia.”
Today, the corner of Fayette and Spencer streets holds a different look, but also a preservation of that legacy inside the Fayette Area Historical Initiative Museum.
“The purpose of Fayette Museum was to collect and preserve the history initially of the Fayette Street corridor,” said museum director Charisse Hairston. “You’ll learn a lot about our Black businesses, construction companies, organizations. It’s just so much you will learn — and a lot of history that you won’t see in your history books.”
The museum, housed in the former Imperial Savings and Loan Bank, highlights stories of perseverance that shaped Martinsville and Henry County. Hairston, who became director in 2024, has expanded that vision with a project to recognize more than two dozen professional athletes from the area.
“We knew this was something we wanted to do. Now, wanting to do it and implementing it are two very different things,” Hairston said.
To learn more about the FAHI Museum, click here.
That effort took shape as Hairston began building connections with local sports greats, including former Detroit Tigers infielder Lou Whitaker, known as “Sweet Lou.” One conversation led to another, and before long, museum organizers had compiled a list of 27 athletes.
Among those honored are former Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore, NFL players P.J. Preston and Ed Reynolds, basketball standouts Michael Helms and Sherman Dillard, former Negro Leagues player J.B. Hairstone, and UFC fighter Tony Gravley.
“It’s one thing to know what you did. It’s another for your hometown to honor what you did,” Hairston said. “Some brought their children, and the pride they had showing their children, like, ‘This was daddy.’”
For Hairston, the recognition goes beyond athletics. It is about inspiring future generations while grounding them in the area’s history.
“I want this next generation to take pride in where they come from,” Hairston said. “I want them to honor their past. I want them to be inspired by it.”