Facilities

The Mary W. Jackson Neighborhood Center broke ground on Feb. 9, 2021, and opened on Sept. 17, 2022.

Features

The center features a gym, locker rooms, a fitness area, kitchen, small meeting rooms, and a larger multipurpose room. Outdoors, the park contains a fenced basketball court, a picnic area with shade structures, a playground, an outdoor fireplace and gathering area, and a multi-purpose field for events and large-scale, outdoor activities and sports based on programming needs.  

Named after 'hidden figure'

The center is named in honor of Mary W. Jackson, who became NASA’s first black female engineer and was one of the "hidden figures" who did mathematic computations at the NASA Langley Research Center. She was a resident and active member of the Olde Hampton community. Displays in the center will highlight some of her many contributions. 

Unlike with a full-scale community center operated by the city’s Parks and Rec staff, the operations of neighborhood centers are overseen by a board of directors made up of neighborhood stakeholders and city facilitators. Membership is free for everyone; the fitness center membership is $15 a month.