Grace Evelyn Arents (1848-1926)

Grace E. Arents, an heir of the wealthy tobacco manufacturer Lewis Ginter, worked to improve the lives of Richmonders through her extensive contributions as an urban reformer and philanthropist. She developed a church complex here that included St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, St. Andrew’s School, the Grace Arents Free Library, a teachers’ house, and a medical clinic. Arents also supported a night school for working teenagers and young adults, built public baths and playgrounds, aided the Instructive Visiting Nurse Association, and funded numerous other social programs. Her legacy continues in the activities of St. Andrew’s Church and St. Andrew’s School.