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For the Love of Jennings
Linda Schmerber, Jennings city historian, proudly shows the community's flag, which was designed by a local 8th grader in 1964.
Jennings is a city that most would say has “transitioned.” In the past 40 years, its population has changed so dramatically that what was once an all-white, middle-class suburb has now become a place where nearly one-quarter of the residents live in poverty and 79 percent of the community is African-American.
At its peak in the late 1950s and early 60s, Jennings had nearly 20,000 residents (5,000 more than today). It also boasted four Catholic parishes, and up until 1960, two thriving school districts. The city was incorporated in 1946 but its roots stem back to 1839, when James Jennings, a Virginia farmer and merchant, purchased 3,000 acres bordered roughly by I-70, Riverview Drive, 367, and Lucas & Hunt.
James Jennings worked his land with the help of 40 slaves, and when he died of tuberculosis in 1855, his property was divided between his wife, Ann Montague Jennings, and their six adult children. When Ann died in 1868, her land was subdivided and developed into homes, churches, farms and businesses – some of which still exist today.
It’s these historic treasures and the proud legacy of the Jennings family that Linda Schmerber has been fighting to protect for the past two decades. A Jennings resident for 48 years (off and on), she joined the Jennings Historical Society in 1987, served as president for 17 years, and now volunteers as the city’s historian and archivist.
A former Jennings landmark that no longer exists: the Janet Theatre
