RICHMOND, VA (WTVR) – The man for whom Gilpin Court is named will receive another honor on Friday.
The Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources will unveil a historical marker honoring the late Broadway legend near the home he grew up in on 922 St. Peter Street, in what is now the Gilpin community.
Gilpin was one of the most successful African American stage actors of the 1920’s, notably starring in Eugene O’Neill’s “The Emperor Jones.” Gilpin was a major player in the Harlem Renaissance. He died in New York City in 1930, where he is buried.
The ceremony will take place this Friday, March 30 at 4 p.m. near the intersection of St. Peter and Charity streets.
The housing authority named the Gilpin Court public-housing complex in his honor.
