Gilbert’s Restaurant, once a beacon for Black travelers, is now a National Historic Site
Gilbert’s Restaurant, which formerly operated in Chatham, was recognized as a safe haven for Black people. Here’s what you need to know about the historic location.
Robert Gilbert and his wife, Sandra Gilbert, operated Gilbert’s Restaurant in Chatham from 1973 until 1999, when the couple was forced to close after traffic was redirected from the area following the construction of Highway 29. In the 25 years since then, the couple has gone back and forth over whether they’d like to tear the restaurant down or try to receive funding to help restore it. Then, with the help of local historian Ina Dixon, the path forward became clear.
Dixon helped the Gilberts get the property added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register. You see, Robert’s father built the restaurant—which formerly operated as a lodging house and gas station as well—in the 1950s as a safe haven for Black travelers. His father wanted to give people somewhere to eat and rest and refuel that was free from discrimination during the Jim Crow era. As Robert told the Cardinal News, “Once you passed the Mason-Dixon line, you couldn’t find anywhere to go into.” He added, “I know this from experience. You might find a roadside stand, but most times, they would deny you any kind of service.”
Part of Robert’s experience as a child involved packing lunches whenever his family went on a trip, that they would then have to eat while standing along the roadside. His father became frustrated by this, and so the idea for Gilbert’s Restaurant was born. The family placed signs along the highway and in front of the building indicating that it was for Black people, though Robert says they accepted anyone who wanted to stop in. The restaurant hosted some famous names back then, like James Earl Jones, Lloyd Price, and Robert’s idol, Fats Domino. It was known through word-of-mouth association as a place where you could get a home cooked meal in peace.
After closing the doors in 1999, Robert and Sandra thought those glory days were behind them. Now, though, they’re hopeful that this might be the beginning of a new era for Gilbert’s Restaurant.
The restaurant has been locally and nationally recognized for its significance
Robert Gilbert said he didn’t realize the building’s value until neighbors said that it could be designated as a historic place due to the shelter and sense of community it provided Black people through the Jim Crow era. Speaking with the Cardinal News, he said, “I didn’t know it could have possible historic value. When I was growing up, I didn’t realize I was living through this history.” He and his wife, Sandra Gilbert, worked with Ina Dixon to register the restaurant under the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.
As Dixon told the Cardinal News, the decision to help the Gilberts was an easy one. “The restaurant has always been locally beloved,” she said. Dixon added that including it in these registers would help preserve the history behind Gilbert’s and how it was “a haven for civil rights and community.” In addition to receiving a plaque marking it as a historic spot, being added to these registers will likely help the Gilberts qualify for historic tax credits that would help them renovate the building.
The couple hopes that they’ll now be able to restore it and pass it down to future generations. “I just hope that the children or the grandchildren or someone will keep it in mind for a long time,” Sandra told WDBJ 7. She added, “I’m hoping that it will last and go from generation to generation.”
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