Historical marker unveiled at Chatham’s Gilbert’s Restaurant

CHATHAM, Va. (WDBJ) - A former restaurant near the corner of Peach and Main Streets in Chatham has received a Virginia Historical Highway Marker recognizing its role as a safe haven for Black travelers during the Jim Crow era.

Gilbert’s Restaurant received its marker during an unveiling last Saturday. Owner Robert Gilbert said the moment was surreal.

“I thought once I was dreaming because I never expected this,” Gilbert said. “And, you know, when I saw my dad and mom’s name at the top of the marker, you know, just a feeling of pride, a feeling of gratefulness.”

A landmark during segregation

Gilbert’s served customers during a period when racial segregation was enforced across the South. Robert Gilbert said the restaurant’s signage stood out against a backdrop of exclusion.

“For people traveling, to see that four-colored sign was like something that they weren’t normally seeing, because the landscape was pretty much dotted with white-only signs,” Gilbert said.

Decades of service

Gilbert’s Restaurant operated as a gas station, grocery store, restaurant, lodge, and offered additional services beginning in the 1950s. Robert Gilbert took over from his father in 1973 and ran the business alongside his wife Sandra until its closure in 1999.

Gilbert said he had considered demolishing the building before learning about Virginia’s Historical Highway Marker Program. A truck struck a sign that had stood at the location for more than 30 years, prompting him to reconsider the property’s future.

“After COVID came along, and we had some health issues in my household, a truck came along and knocked, we had a big sign there, been there for over 30 years,” Gilbert said. “And a truck knocked that down. And so, I figured maybe now’s the time to just go ahead and take it down before it becomes an eyesore.”

Legacy to continue

Gilbert said he is confident his sons will carry on the restaurant’s story following the marker unveiling.

“They see that it was a tremendous impact on our community,” Gilbert said. “Based on the crowd that was here and the things that were said, I think they realized the depth of where this goes into their legacy. So, I think they will carry on. I feel certain they will.”

Gilbert also said his sons have asked him to write a book about the restaurant.

“They want me to write a book, which I probably, I told them I would,” Gilbert said. “But I’m going to try to do that, at least for the family, if nobody else.”