Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts and Their Demolition

History and Activism

Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts were apartment buildings constructed in the 1940s and 1950s and located between Jefferson and Terminal Avenues adjacent to the coal export terminals in Southeast Newport News. The residences were demolished beginning in 2010. Newport News City Council subsequently rezoned the land under Harbor Homes as M2 Heavy Industrial and under Dickerson Courts as M1 Light Industrial.

The Harbor Homes land was sold to S23 Holdings for a ship repair business and the Dickerson Courts land was sold to IndieDwell for emergency housing unit assembly. During public comment, residents of nearby homes reiterated concerns about coal dust pollution and expressed worries that pollution from any new industrial facilities at these locations would further exacerbate air quality burdens.

Stephanie Smith and Mrs. Tabb stand while Ms. Tolliver goes over a draft letter the Virginia Governor Charles Robb concerning coal dust pollution, from the Daily Press, May 24, 1984.

Mrs. Gloria Tabb, President Tenant Council of Dickerson Courts and Harbor Homes, filed a complaint with the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board (APCB) concerning coal dust on May 9, 1983 and wrote a letter to the APCB on October 11, 1983 that received a reply from Region VI Director Ramon Minx. Former residents of Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts have described coal dust pollution as a severe and persistent problem, with many people reporting the kinds of health impacts that are associated with particulate matter and coal dust exposures.

While there is no record in government documents or official statements, although some have eluded to it, many former residents of Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts and residents of Southeast Newport News more widely maintain that the apartments were demolished at least in part because of the adverse impacts of coal dust on health and quality of life.

Sheila McAllister, Director of City Planning for the City of Newport News, Interviewed by Adrian Wood in Crosswinds: "[Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts were] old. It could not be rebuilt. And because of the proximity to—I'm not going to say proximity to the coal yard, but people did not like being that close to the coal yard. And we didn't like people being that close to the coal yard."

In 2011, a Newport News City Council work session agenda said their current land-use map recommended commercial development on the Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts land "because of its location adjacent to I-664, the coal terminals and access to the I-664 on/off ramp."

Resources and Materials: See for Yourself and Dig Deeper

Media

• Matthews, Coal Dust Unsettles Residents: Tenants Group Write Governor, Daily Press, May 24, 1984
• NN-Owned Housing Closer to Demolition, The Virginian-Pilot, May 19, 2007
• City Completes Demolition of 1950s-Era Public Housing Project, Daily Press, January 27, 2011
• Public Housing Reducing Its Footprint on the Peninsula, The Virginian-Pilot, October 22, 2011
• Thayer, Letter to the Editor, Daily Press, June 5, 2015

Thayer's Letter to the Editor, June 5, 2015: "I have lived in the Southeast Community of Newport News for 14 years. My family lived in Harbor Homes for 10 years before is was torn down. It was difficulty dealing with the coal dust coming in my windows constantly, and I wondered how it would affect my then-teenage daughter. We have moved to Ridley Circle (only a block away) and while the coal dust is not as visible, we know it is still there. I have been working with the Southeast CARE Coalition for a few months, doing whatever I can to help our neighborhood. I hope Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources Molly Ward and the Department of Environmental Quality Director David Taylor will become involved in making our neighborhood a better lace to live. Thank you for publishing articles about our dilemmas. Maybe making the problems more well known will encourage more of my neighbors to get involved."

• Clift, Candidates Address Environmental Issues, Daily Press, April 14, 2016

Tina Vick Reportedly Said She Led the Effort to Tear Down Harbor Homes and Dickerson Courts Partly Because of the Coal Dust, April 14, 2016: "We're not going to advocate for more housing in that area because it has not been the safest thing for our community."

Resident Complaints and Response

• Complaint from Ms. Gerline Avston (Massey Terminal), May 9, 1983
• Complaint from Mrs. Gloria Tabb (Massey Terminal), May 9, 1983
• Complaint from Ms. Maurice Cary (Massey Terminal), May 9, 1983
• Letter from Ramon Minx (APCB) to Mrs. Gloria Tabb, October 11, 1983

Municipal Documents

• Work Session Agenda, Newport News City Council, September 27, 2011
• Newport News Zoning Map, 2016
• City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, May 2, 2018
• City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, January 6, 2021
• Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting, City of Newport News, June 15, 2021
• City Planning Commission Meeting Minutes, City of Newport News, November 3, 2021

Interviews Referencing Harbor Homes, Dickerson Courts, and Their Demolition

• Donquitta Clements, Southeast Newport News Resident and Community Organizer, June 28, 2023
• Sheila McAllister, City of Newport News Director of Planning, November 14, 2023
• Yugonda Sample-Jones, Southeast Newport News Resident and Community Organizer, February 27, 2024
• Lawrence Turner, Southeast Newport News Resident and Community Organizer, July 7, 2023

Visit Next

Local Air Monitoring Interviews and Oral Histories

The Front Porch and Community Action

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