W. L. Brown
W.L. Brown (1842 - July 18, 1892) was a founding member of the Piedmont Industrial and Land Improvement Company and longtime Charlottesville resident.[1]
Biography
Brown was born around 1842 to Henry and Katy Brown. In 1865, he established a barbershop on the Corner, which was incredibly well-respected by members of the UVA, which would eventually be passed down to his sons, Charley Brown and William F. Brown upon his retirement.
In 1873, Brown and his wife, Harriet, purchased land at the corner of Ridge and Dice Streets from Patrick Martin and S.M. Keller; the Martin and Keller families also sold the land of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery in that year.[2]
Brown was one of the founders of the Piedmont Industrial and Land Improvement Company, which was created in 1889 by Black entrepreneurs to aid the Black community in purchasing land and maintaining familial wealth.[1]
Following Brown's death in 1892, he is believed to have been buried in the Daughters of Zion Cemetery, though there is no headstone marking his grave.[2]