History in Full Color

Taking a day to breathe in the autumn air and sip tea with a friend was a much needed respite. We visited the Anne Spencer Gardens in downtown Lynchburg. Anne was a recognized Harlem Renaissance poet, a librarian at Dunbar High School, and helped start the NAACP chapter in 1913 for Lynchburg, VA.

Her husband built their home on Pierce Street and added a cottage retreat inside the gardens for his beloved wife to write about nature. He called it Edankraal, part of their names, Edward and Anne, and kraal which means “enclosure.”

Both their residence and the cottage can be toured as well as the her magnificent gardens. Her garden has been restored with many of her original plantings, and is the only known restored garden of an African American in the United States. The home and cottage maintain 95% of the original furnishings with plenty of photographs to take visitors on a historical walk down memory lane.

Visit https://www.annespencermuseum.org to book a personal tour by Anne’s very own granddaughter. It is well worth your time and stop by during the seasonal changes, as the gardens change throughout the year!