FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2025

New Historical Marker to Recognize the Carver Inn, Former African American Hotel and Green Book Site

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – On Saturday, March 22, 2025, at 3 pm, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the City of Charlottesville will unveil a state historical marker at the site of the Carver Inn at the 700 block of Preston Avenue (approximately 150 feet west of the train bridge on the north side of Preston). 

During the era of segregation, the inn was listed in the Green Book, a national guide to facilities that welcomed African American travelers. It was among the few hotels in central Virginia where they could stay. In addition to lodging, the Carver Inn offered fine dining, a private social club, and a beauty salon. The inn was razed in the 1970s to widen Preston Avenue. The new marker was funded by the City’s Historic Resources Committee. 

Following the unveiling (at approximately 3:30 pm), Preservation Piedmont will host a viewing of a documentary film featuring the Carver Inn in the Swanson Room at the Central Library (201 East Market Street). The room honors Gregory Swanson, the first African American to attend the University of Virginia. Mr. Swanson resided at the Carver Inn after his successful lawsuit to gain admission to the graduate law program. Event details can be found HERE (link).

Parking for the unveiling is available at the former Reid Super-Save Market at 600 Preston Avenue.  

The approved text will read as follows on the historical marker:

The Carver Inn 
The Carver Inn (ca. 1947) on this site was among the few lodging places in Charlottesville where African Americans could stay during segregation. Featuring fine dining, a private social club, and a beauty salon, the inn was host to famous guests including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Thurgood Marshall. Gregory Swanson, the first African American to attend the University of Virginia, resided here after his successful lawsuit to gain admission to the graduate law program. The Carver Inn was listed in the Green Book, a national guide to facilities that served African American travelers. It was demolished in the mid-1970s during a road-widening project that razed several Black-owned properties.

Media Contact:
Afton Schneider
Director of Communications & Public Engagement
City of Charlottesville
434-996-0331
media@charlottesville.gov