There is no better way to celebrate Black History Month in Richmond than to follow in the footprints of those who have helped make that history.

Now you can, thanks to a collaboration between Richmond Tourism Commission and the Madison County Historical Society.  Footprints: Traces of Black History in Richmond, Kentucky is a 75-page guide to discovering the city’s rich black history – a history whose visible signs have been largely lost.

 Over time, buildings have been demolished or converted for another use.  Those who were part of that history are either deceased or living with dimmed memories.

Gary Noland is one of those whose memories are mostly intact.  Born in 1947, he remembers when Richmond’s African American community of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s offered a great environment to grow up in.

“I was really raised by my whole village,” he says.  “Children were taught respect, importance of education, family pride and a work ethic.  And everyone I knew attended a church.”

Noland’s experience and insight proved invaluable as a volunteer consultant in putting together the Footprints Guide.

The Guide is conveniently divided into seven sections – three geographical locations accompanied by a map of the area as an aid for those following in the historical Footprints – and sections on education, notable residents, cemeteries and neighboring places of interest.

It begins with an introduction by Robert R. Blythe, Richmond’s current mayor and the only African American mayor in its history.

It concludes with an acknowledgement to those who made the story possible and a quote from former president Barack Obama.

The first and largest section covers the area known as “The Hill,” the heart of African American life during Richmond’s period of segregation. 

During that time, it was home to more than 20 black-owned businesses, four churches and most of Richmond’s African American civic organizations…..places as diverse as Dunc’s Ice Cream Parlor, Blythe’s Sandwich Shop, Ambrose/

Hunt’s Pool Hall,  Doc McDaniel Tombstone Sales and a number of barbershops and beauty salons.

Of the 35 stops on the tour, only four remain.  First Baptist Church, Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church, Richmond Predestinarian Church and St. Paul A.M.E. Church are a testament to the importance of religion in early African American communities.

Visitors can stand near The Hill’s newly erected marker, and imagine the vitality of an area that during its heyday was referred to as “downtown.”

One more thing they can do is stop in for lunch or dinner at Smitty’s Southern Style BBQ which, while it has only been open since 2010, represents the vibrancy of the original community.

The next section of the guide focuses on Uptown which might have been considered the upscale part of the African American community as it was home to medical professionals as well as tailors and seamstresses who catered to both a black and white clientele.

Uptown was where the two communities converged, and was once the site of civic parades and celebrations, while during the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60’s, those parades were replaced by marches and demonstrations.

One of the area’s most significant buildings, Madison High, although closed in 2025 is fully intact.

A marker has also recently been placed in the Uptown area to highlight its importance to the city.

The area known as the East End was nothing if not eclectic.  Spectators could enjoy a horse race on what is present day Race Street or a seafood dinner at Sam Miller Seafood.  Children could begin their education at Miss Lizzie’s Kindergarten and continue it at Richmond High School.

The East End saw both the innocence of the post-World War II years in an impromptu baseball game in Pioneer Park, and the labor pains of desegregation which came to Richmond in 1961.

And the East End became the final stop for many as it was the site of both major African American cemeteries.

One original building, the Linden Street Baptist Church, is the only remaining original structure still in operation.

Sharon Graves, president of the Madison County Historical Society, who was instrumental in production of the Footprints Guide, says that Richmond has always had a vibrant and thriving African American business and social community.

While some may question the value of a tour dedicated to an area where so many of the original structures are no longer there, Graves is not one of them.

“It is important for those who came later to know that a community rich in culture and entrepreneurial spirit existed within our city limits,” she says.

“Peel back the layers with Footprints: Traces of Black History in Richmond, Kentucky to discover what we as a community have lost, never to be replaced.”

Pictures of the signage in each of these quadrants will be available and posted to this blog after the unveiling has taken place. In the meantime, you can access the digital version of Footprints by clicking this link: Digital Copy of Footprints.