Rose Hill in Charlottesville in Albemarle County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Carver Inn

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2026

1. The Carver Inn Marker

Inscription. 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.

Erected 2024 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number Q-53.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Green Book Locations series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1947.

Location. 38° 2.16′ N, 78° 29.205′ W. Marker is in Charlottesville,

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Virginia, in Albemarle County. It is in Rose Hill. It is on Preston Avenue just west of Albemarle Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601B Albemarle St, Charlottesville VA 22903, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont

and in Central Virginia.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Buck v. Bell (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dogwood Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jackson P. Burley High School (approx. ¼ mile away); Triumph of “The Charlottesville Twelve” (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named Jackson P. Burley High School (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker

Virginia Green Book Location, 1938-1967 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2026

2. Virginia Green Book Location, 1938-1967

The Negro Motorist Green Book, a guidebook for African American travelers, was published by New York City mail carrier Victor Hugo Green in response to pervasive and widespread racial discrimination during the pre-Civil Rights era. Green's guide featured hotels, restaurants, service stations, and other places where African Americans could count on being served.

also named Jackson P. Burley High School (approx. ¼ mile away); Walter “Rock” Greene Albert “AP” Moore Gymnasium (approx. ¼ mile away); Robert "Bob" Smith Clarence "Butch" Jones Field (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charlottesville.

Also see . . . The Green Book in Virginia. A Virginia Department of Historic Resources site about sites in Virginia. (Submitted on January 16, 2026, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2026

3. The Carver Inn Marker

Photographed by Kevin W., January 16, 2026

4. The Carver Inn Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2026, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia. This page has been viewed 61 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 16, 2026, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.