Charles H. Walker

C. H. Walker
Walker, ca. 1915
Treasurer City of Charlottesville
Treasurer City of Charlottesville
Succeeded by	W. G. Steele
Biographical Information
Date of birth	July 29, 1845 Louisa Court House
Date of death	March 21, 1917 City of Charlottesville, Va. Maplewood Cemetery
Spouse	Roberta Carroll Mrs. Mattie (Terrell) Wills
Children
Residence
Alma mater
Profession
Religion	Episcopalian Christ Episcopal Church

Charles Henry Walker (July 29, 1845 - March 21, 1917) was a successful Charlottesville business man. He served as Charlottesville's Treasurer until December 31, 1915 when he resigned due to failing health. He died at his residence on Altamont Circle, the colonial home of Ex-Governor Gilmer.

Walker Building

It is interesting to note that the Walker Building at 208 5th St NE, erected by Mr. Walker to meet the needs of the increasing trade of the Charlottesville Hardware Company, stands upon the site on which the house in which Mr. Walker commenced his career as a business man.

SKETCHES OF THE DEAD 145 CHARLES HENRY WALKER

By John W. WALKER.

Charles Henry Walker was born at Louisa, Virginia, July 29th, 1845, and was a son of John W. and Martha (Hughson) Walker. His father was a railroad contractor of the firm of Mason & Walker. His maternal grandfather was Samuel Hughson of the Green Springs section of Louisa County. His paternal grandfather, Austin Walker, lived in Piedmont, Virginia, and was the father of a numerous family.

As a boy Mr. Walker attended John P. Thompson's private school at Louisa, the famous old Dinwiddie School at Greenwood, Virginia, and was a student at the Crenshaw school in Amelia County when, in 1863, at the age of eighteen, he entered the Confederate army as a member of the command of Colonel John S. Mosby, known as Mosby's Battalion.

On August 13th, 1864, while taking part in the capture of a wagon train at Berryville, Mr. Walker was seriously wounded while in the forefront of a charge on a body of infantry that had taken refuge behind a stone wall. He was within a few feet of this wall when a minnie ball from an enemy musket shattered his left arm. Eight months later he was not sufficiently recovered to return to his command.

A few years after the close of the war he came to Charlottesville to enter business. He soon took a position with T. J. Wertenbaker. In January 1875 he established himself at Rectortown, Virginia, in a mercantile business which he conducted with a large measure of success for twenty-two years. His capital outgrowing the needs of his own business led to his organizing, in association with D. P. Wood of Warrenton, the business of D. P. Wood & Company. Also, in 1889, he established with J. E. Wood the business that is now the Charlottesville Hardware Company. In 1897, retiring from the Rectortown business, he came back to live in Charlottesville, and joined the John Bowie Strange Camp of Confederate Veterans. He was thrice chosen commander of the camp but declined to serve the third term though unanimously elected. He was appointed city treasurer and filled that office by successive elections until his death. He was a director in the Albemarle National Bank and in various other enterprises. He was an elder of the Christian Church for about twenty years and Superintendent of its Sunday School for a number of years. In everything bearing upon the material or moral progress of the community he took an active part. His last residence was the handsome old colonial home of Ex-Governor Gilmer.

He was married in Danville, Virginia, in May, 1873, to Roberta Carroll, who was born in Albemarle County, the daughter of Major Andrew Carroll and Mattie C. (Payne) Carroll. She was a faithful companion until her death in July, 1911. On December 10th, 1912, he married Mrs. Mattie (Terrell Wills, the daughter of N. A. Terrell, and widow of F. Cary Wills. Mr. Walker's benefactions were many and probably no man who ever lived in the city helped more people. He died March 21st, 1917.