Our Story

The Colbrook Inn, later known as the Colbrook Motel, stood on U.S. Route 1 in Chester, Virginia, about fifteen miles south of Richmond and seven to eight miles north of Petersburg. It began in the 1940s as a collaboration among friends, colleagues, and entrepreneurs: William E. Brooks, a Tuskegee Airman; his wife Audrey W. Brooks, an educator associated with Virginia State University; and Dr. Cortlandt M. Colson, a professor at Virginia State University who was an original partner in the venture.

William Brooks had trained as a dental technician before the war, but he had long been interested in building an auto camp that would serve Black travelers — an ambition that grew after he came south to visit Audrey (then Miss Audrey Woods of Washington, Pennsylvania), who was on the faculty at Virginia State.

Colbrook opened in 1946 on a ten-acre tract and quickly became a fixture for Black motorists during the segregation era, listed in both the Green Book and the GO Guide — the national travel directories that told Black travelers where they could safely stop. In its early form the business combined a Texaco service station, a restaurant, and a cluster of log cabin cottages, advertised as "Colbrook Inn — The Colored Tourist — Cabins and Dining Room." A 1947 Green Book ad captured its pitch simply: "Rest in Home Surroundings, Good Food, Comfortable Cabins."

What made Colbrook unusual drew press attention beyond the Black travel guides. A newspaper article headlined "Inter-Race Tourist Camp Now in Virginia" described it as one of the most unusual auto camps in the South, where its nine cabins and well-appointed tea room served "Negroes and whites alike on a basis of equality." Black and white motorists occupied cabins side by side and shared the same facilities — Brooks reported no friction. The camp operated within the letter of Virginia's segregation laws, which did not prohibit members of different races from occupying separate but adjacent cabins.

More than just a motel, Colbrook became a symbol of resilience, entrepreneurship, and dignity during a time when Black Americans faced widespread discrimination while traveling.

Over the years the property grew and modernized. The original log-cabin inn and rustic tourist cottages gave way to a brick motel and an air-conditioned restaurant, and the roadside sign eventually advertised the "Colbrook Motel." The Brookses ran the business until 1982, and its membership in the Nationwide Hotel Association — certified in 1954 — reflected both its standing in the industry and William Brooks's role as an officer, and later treasurer, of that association.

Beyond lodging, Colbrook served as a social and civic hub for the Black community. It hosted gatherings such as a Delta Sigma Theta party and functioned as a meeting place for educators and community activists — a natural role given the Brookses' deep ties to local schools and to Virginia State University. The motel drew notable guests as well, including Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe.

William E. Brooks, Sr. (1912–2005) was born in Mingo County, West Virginia, and worked variously as a coal miner, a traveling salesman, and a dental technician before serving with the Tuskegee Airmen in the U.S. Army Air Forces. In addition to owning Colbrook, he served as treasurer of the Nationwide Hotel Association and treasurer of St. Stephen's Church in Petersburg.

Audrey W. Brooks (1914–2002), of Washington, Pennsylvania, earned a bachelor's degree from California State College in Pennsylvania in 1936 and a master's from Virginia State College. She spent decades as a teacher, counselor, and vice-principal at Carver High School in Chester, sponsored the Delta Teens social club and the Velvatones singing group, and went on to become a professor at Virginia State University — all while co-owning and running the motel.

Today, the site is being transformed by Better Housing Coalition into Colbrook Apartments — a $60 million affordable housing community that will provide 144 high-quality homes for individuals and families earning 30–80% of the Area Median Income.

The redevelopment intentionally preserves the site's rich history by restoring the original Colbrook Motel sign, installing a Virginia historical marker, and creating an educational gallery and community spaces that honor the Brooks family's legacy and the importance of the Green Book.