Richmond National Battlefield Park, Virginia: Accessibility Assessment

Abstract

In October of 2023, staff from the Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands’ National Center on Accessibility program visited Maggie Walker National Historic Site and Richmond National Battlefield Park, two closely linked sites in the Richmond, Virginia area. These sites, while technically separate, have a symbiotic relationship; this does not just cover their facilities, staff, and programs, but also their story. The story of Maggie Walker’s life, featured in the historic site which bears her name, begins at the end of the Civil War in Richmond, a story told by the National Battlefield Park’s sites. The Order of St. Luke’s, which Maggie Walker led and championed, would not exist without the Civil War’s outcome. This connection, both practical and historical, sets the stage for the reports that the National Center on Accessibility seeks to provide. While two reports – one to cover sites within Richmond National Battlefield Park, and one to cover Maggie Walker National Historic Site – have been written, the assessment was undertaken with full knowledge of these connections. These reports may reference findings from one park or another but have been written with the understanding that each park is a separate unit.