252 N Mason Street
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Last updated on July 7, 2025
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Directions from Dr. Dickerson's Home to site 9:
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Mrs. Ida Mae Francis Tourist Home was a safe place to board for African American clientele traveling through Harrisonburg. Ida Mae Francis was born in 1875 in Culpeper, Virginia. Ida married Henry William Francis, a shoemaker, in 1902 and had a daughter named Mary Elizabeth. The two-story home where the couple resided was built in 1908 on the corner of North Mason and East Rock Streets. Henry purchased the lot in 1909 after the house had been constructed. The lot was deeded to E.D. Ott in 1911. After Mr. Francis’ passing in 1912, Mrs. Francis allowed boarders into her home and short-term guests for a source of income. Her parents hosted boarders during her childhood, and Ida was familiar with the business. The house was listed in multiple editions of The Negro Motorist Green Book, including those from 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, and 1962. The Green Brook provided an index of safe places for Black travelers nationwide. A notable guest of the tourist home in 1928 was the African American chemist Dr. George Washington Carver. The home was a significant attribute of social life in Newtown.
Ida was present in her community in different ways. She worked as a washerwoman, was a member of the local chapter of the colored Aid Red Cross Fund, and served as a delegate for the local Republican convention. The boarding home ceased operations in the 1960s. Ida died at age 101 in 1977. Ida’s grandchildren, Henry F. “Bubbles” Rouser and Lois “Snookie” Rouser, inhabited the home until their deaths. In 2024, The Ida Mae Francis Tourist Home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ida was present in her community in different ways. She worked as a washerwoman, was a member of the local chapter of the colored Aid Red Cross Fund, and served as a delegate for the local Republican convention. The boarding home ceased operations in the 1960s. Ida died at age 101 in 1977. Ida’s grandchildren, Henry F. “Bubbles” Rouser and Lois “Snookie” Rouser, inhabited the home until their deaths. In 2024, The Ida Mae Francis Tourist Home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
