The Travelers Inn
Bluefield, West Virginia
The Travelers Inn “Beloved Community” mural by Ellen Elmes, designer and primary painter. Photo by Don Elmes.
The East End and North Side neighborhoods of Bluefield West Virginia hold profound significance to Black Appalachian history – the Travelers Inn monument highlights the contributions of African Americans in their community through public memory projects.
The monument reimagines the African American neighborhoods and historical sites such as Travelers Inn – once listed in the “Negro Travelers Green Book” during the segregated Jim Crow Era – through community gathering and art.
Community gathering and mural painting in Bluefield, West Virginia. Photo by MAAP Team.
“We are still here, just like the Travelers Inn Hotel. Still standing, still remembering. Still fighting to restore not only our neighborhoods, but our narratives. Perhaps, finally, we are being heard. And together, we can begin to repair what has been broken – not only with bricks and mortar, but with truth, memory, and justice.”
-Vonnia Harris Davis, Project Lead
The team engaged in community conversations to inform and design a mural that reflected the unique character, culture, and spirit of the Black residents' history. In Bluefield, a two-day community “Paint-In” was held for past and present residents to make their mark on the mural while sharing stories and painting together. The resulting mural is entitled "Beloved Community: Northside and East End, Bluefield, WV.
Vonnia Harris Davis standings outside the historic Travelers Inn, imagining the mural monument. Photo by Rebecca Kiger, Mellon Foundation.
Mural Artist, Ellen Elmes, and other local artists created 27 fabric panels, that make up the mural "Beloved Community: Northside and East End, Bluefield, West Virginia."
Monument Team
Vonnia Harris Davis
Greg Galford
Ellen Elmes
Jariah Strozier
An illustration showing community gathering and collaboration as the “Beloved Community” is completed. Illustration by Rebecca Steele.