New accessibility ramp at Aberdeen Gardens museum

Oct. 1, 2025 - The City of Hampton joined the Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood in dedicating an accessibility ramp on Wednesday morning at the historical foundation's office and museum.

The new ramp at the Aberdeen Gardens Historic Museum, 55-57 Mary Peake Blvd., was made possible by a grant from the Dominion Energy Charitable Fund and was constructed by the W.F. Magann Corp. The contractors also installed a paved path through the backyard to accommodate guests who use wheelchairs, canes and walkers.

Margaret Wilson, president of the Historical Foundation of Aberdeen Gardens, celebrated what the new ramp means to the small museum.

"People want to come to the museum and learn about this neighborhood and the people who live here," Wilson said. "It bothered me when someone with a wheelchair called and I had to tell them I couldn't set up a visit for them. I'm glad that the next time an organization calls and they've got people with wheelchairs, I get to say, 'When can you come?'"

Hampton Vice Mayor Steve Brown offered the invocation and spoke of the historic role that Aberdeen Gardens plays in the city's story.

"Some people might think an accessibility ramp at a neighborhood museum isn't that big a deal, but it is," Brown said. "It's important that we don't miss the significance of what's happening here today. Aberdeen Gardens is a big part of our city's history. This building showcases that history to anyone who wants to learn about it. And now, with an ADA-compliant ramp, we truly can say that the story of Aberdeen Gardens is accessible to everyone - as it should be."

The Aberdeen Gardens neighborhood was built in the 1930s under a federal program that had previously been denied to African-Americans. This historic Hampton neighborhood was the first one that was planned, built and populated entirely by African-Americans.

Bonita Billingsley Harris, a strategic advisor for Dominion Energy, is the great-granddaughter of Charles Duke, who was the architect in chief who helped plan Aberdeen Gardens. She and her mother, Amy Billingsley, shared their family's history as it realtes to the neighborhood.

"My grandfather was very proud of Aberdeen Gardens," Amy Billingsley said. "I know he would be thrilled to see it still thriving today. Maybe he's looking down on us now."

Kasia Grzelkowski, president and CEO of the nonprofit Versability Resources, said it was appropriate that the ramp dedication was held on the first day of National Disability Employment Awareness Month: "No one should ever be left at the door. What this ramp says is, 'You are welcome here.'"

Margaret Wilson speaks Wednesday at the dedication of the ADA-compliant ramp at the Aberdeen Gardens Historic Museum.