I Love Carver

We may not have everything, but we have enough

by

For many years that I lived in Richmond, Carver was a neighborhood I would drive through to get to other areas of the city. I never gave it much thought, as it was rarely a destination, and it never crossed my mind that Carver might eventually become my home. This changed nearly two years ago when my roommates and I took a chance on a relatively small yet charming house and relocated from The Fan. What I discovered is, though Carver may not have all the amenities other neighborhoods have to offer, there is still plenty to love.

HISTORY

Carver was known as Sheep Hill when it was first settled as a working-class neighborhood for Jewish and German tradesmen in the 1840s. During the early 1900s, the neighborhood became a thriving African-American community with strong ties to Jackson Ward. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the neighborhood became known as Carver, when the Moore Street School, which still stands today, was renamed to honor the African-American inventor George Washington Carver. In addition to its residential properties, several industrial businesses and factories were located in Carver, including the American Tobacco Company, the Eagle Paper Company and the Peter Stumpf Brewing Company. The neighborhood experienced a decline beginning in the 1950s but has been revitalized in recent decades with the renovation of historic buildings, construction of new houses and incentives to buy property.

RECREATION

One of my favorite attributes of Carver is our community garden. It’s a source of pride for many residents, including me. Neighbors with greener thumbs than mine rent out plots of land to grow everything from herbs to flowers to vegetables. It's not uncommon to see people working on their small plots early in the morning or at dusk during the warmer months.

LIVING

The Carver Residential Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places and comprises the majority of housing in the neighborhood. The houses date to the late 19th century and were built in the popular Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne architectural styles of the time. Condos renovated from the neighborhood’s industrial past and housing marketed toward college students also make up residential living. My house is in the Hartshorn Community, which opened in 1961. This is a planned community of one-story, three-bedroom homes located north of Leigh Street. Hartshorn feels like a microcommunity, as it’s tucked away from the busier streets of Carver. Plus, my next-door neighbor raises chickens.

DINING

The Black Sheep is one of the only traditional restaurants in Carver. Their giant submarine-style sandwiches measure over 2 feet long. Called “battleships,” they are unlike any other sandwich in the city. The sandwiches’ infamous reputation earned The Black Sheep a visit from Alton Brown of the Food Network when he dined in several local restaurants while in Richmond in 2014. For your caffeine fix, don’t miss Alchemy Coffee. They apply equal parts art and science to create the perfect cup of coffee. Carver is also home to two destinations to please any sweet tooth: Mo’s Sweet Minis and Sugar Shack Donuts.

SHOPPING

If there’s anything that Carver lacks, it’s retail stores. There is one business, however, that is a neighborhood staple. With a simple sign outside that reads, “Books,” the Richmond Book Shop is a familiarity among many generations of VCU students. The bookshop first opened in 1969. Whether you’re in the market for used books, back-issue comics, prints or vinyl records, you are bound to find something of interest.