Annie Giles
Photo Credit: Richmond Free Press
About Richmond's Honorary Street Name Designations
Honorary street names can be found throughout Richmond, and are intended to memorialize individuals for their civic, cultural, humanitarian, or historically significant contributions to the Richmond Community. These designations typically apply to a portion of a street, such as a city block, and are designated by Richmond City Council via the passing of an Ordinance. Honorary street names do not replace the existing name of a street and do not require an alteration to maps or addresses.
Annie Giles
A native of Richmond, Annie Giles dedicated five decades of service to her Whitcomb Court neighbors and to Richmond’s East End as a whole. Ms. Giles advocated for better healthcare and daycare programs for the children and families of public housing communities, notably the Parent-Tot Program – a cooperative preschool program that was eventually adopted by six other housing developments in Richmond.
In addition to her advocacy on behalf of children, Annie Giles also pursued many more avenues of civic activism. She worked to improve relations between residents and the Richmond Police Department in an effort to reduce crime in public housing neighborhoods, volunteered her time to register voters and initiated door-knocking campaigns to remind her neighbors to vote, advocated for more workforce training programs, and even directed the soup kitchen at her church.
Designation Area:
The 2300, 2400, 2500, and 2600 blocks of Whitcomb Street have been given the honorary designation of Annie Giles Street.
Download the Council Ordinance:
Learn more about this Honorary Street Designation by downloading a copy of the legislation. The Council Ordinance below is in PDF format:
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