YWCA (the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA)
Known Name(s)
YWCA (the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA)
Address
613 Monroe St. Lynchburg, VA
Establishment Type(s)
YWCA
Physical Status
Extant
Detailed History
Please refer to pages 238-239 of Candacy Taylor's book "Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America" for a biography of Phyllis Wheatley. She arrived in Boston in 1761 on a slave ship and was purchased by John Wheatley, whose wife recognized that Phyllis had a unique talent with words and supported her education. The Green Book listed 47 YWCAs and 3 were named after Phyllis Wheatley, the first black female poet published in the U.S. In addition to the 3 YWCAs, 8 hotels listed in The Green Book are also named for her.
