Lost Fortunes: The Wealthy Black Women Who Built Empires Before the Civil Rights Movement—And Where Their Wealth Went (Part 3 of 28, Bridget "Biddy" Mason)

“If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives.” ― Biddy Mason

Bridget "Biddy" Mason

The earliest wealth builders in the U.S. included fearless, politically and socially savvy, trailblazing Black women of the 18th and 19th Century. Meet Bridget “Biddy” Mason, rising from enslavement to wealth—and what happened to her fortune?

Bridget “Biddy” Mason (1818–1891) rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest Black women in 19th-century Los Angeles. Through hard work, intelligence, and strategic investments in real estate, she amassed a fortune worth millions in today’s dollars. However, like many wealthy Black Americans of her time, her wealth did not fully transfer to future generations. 

Biddy Mason was born into slavery in Georgia and later moved west with her enslaver, Robert Marion Smith. Despite California being a free state, Smith attempted to keep Biddy and other enslaved individuals under his control. After meeting a freed black woman who encouraged her to sue for her freedom, in 1856 she did just that. She petitioned a California court, making her one of the first Black women in Los Angeles to legally gain emancipation.

After gaining her freedom, she worked as a midwife and nurse, delivering hundreds of babies and earning a stable income. Biddy Mason also understood the importance of land ownership, especially in a rapidly growing city like Los Angeles. 

In 1866, at nearly 40 years old, she boldly purchased her first piece of land for $250—a first for a formerly enslaved woman at a time when Black people faced extreme discrimination. Over time, she bought more properties and strategically leased or sold land at a profit. Her real estate empire grew, making her one of the first Black female landowners and millionaires in California, owning downtown properties in the LA Financial District on Spring Street and Broadway. Today, the land she owned in downtown Los Angeles is now worth hundreds of millions in dollars. 

Biddy Mason was not just wealthy; she was also deeply committed to helping others in her community. She co-founded the First African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Los Angeles, which still exists today. She provided housing and financial assistance to newly freed Black families and those in need. She established a school and daycare for Black children, ensuring access to education.

Mason’s business success made her one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles, and her success demonstrated the potential for economic empowerment for Black Americans in the post-slavery era.

When Biddy Mason died in 1891, her estate was worth around $300,000 (equivalent to several million dollars today). Her fortune was passed on to her children and grandchildren. While some of her descendants continued to own land and build businesses, much of the family’s wealth did not last. 

Several factors contributed to this:

• Passing on Wealth: Biddy Mason passed in 1891 and she left behind a substantial estate, but most of her wealth was tied up in real estate. Her property holdings were ultimately sold, and her estate was distributed among her descendants.

• Poor Wealth Management: Some heirs sold off land instead of reinvesting in property or business opportunities. Additionally, like many families with generational wealth, disagreements over inheritance may have led to mismanagement of financial resources.

• Loss of Wealth: Over the following generations, much of her wealth was dissipated due to systemic racial and economic pressures. Black families at the time faced discriminatory practices due to economic and racial barriers such as redlining, segregation, and other institutional barriers that limited opportunities to secure loans to expand, sustain, and grow inherited wealth. 

• Real Estate Ownership: Some of her land was sold off, and although her legacy in Los Angeles endures, her descendants, like many other African American families of the time, faced challenges in maintaining their inherited wealth. 

• Urban Development & Gentrification: Some of the land Biddy Mason owned in downtown Los Angeles was later redeveloped, but not all of it remained in the family’s control.

Where Did Her Wealth Go?

Biddy Mason’s story is one of extraordinary resilience, financial success, and philanthropy. While her wealth and legacy were undeniably significant during her lifetime, her descendants were not able to fully preserve or grow that wealth due to the systemic racial barriers they encountered in the following decades. The broader history of Black wealth in the U.S. reflects a similar trend, where generational wealth was often difficult to sustain because of discriminatory laws, practices, and social conditions.

Biddy’s story remains a powerful example of Black resilience and success, but like many others from that era, the wealth she accumulated was gradually lost as generations faced the challenges of systemic inequality: systemic racism, economic exploitation, and lack of access to loans and capital.

Information on Biddy Mason’s living descendants can be found at https://biddy mason.info

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This is a financial education series of The New LaVilla, a historic landmark restoration project in north Florida. To learn more about the project, sign up for our newsletter at  www.thenewlavilla.com, follow our page on LinkedIn and social media @thenewlavilla.