Urban Renewal and the End of Black Culture in Charlottesville, Virginia: An Oral History of Vinegar Hill

by James Robert Saunders, Renae Nadine Shackelford

From the 1920s through the 1950s, the center of black social and business life in Charlottesville, Virginia, was the area known as Vinegar Hill. But in 1960, noting the prevalence of aging frame houses and “substandard” conditions such as outdoor toilets, voters decided that Vinegar Hill would be redeveloped. Charlottesville’s black residents lost a cultural center, largely because they were deprived of a voice in government. Vinegar Hill’s displaced residents discuss the loss of homes and businesses and the impact of the project on black life in Charlottesville. The interviews raise questions about motivations behind urban renewal.

Genres: Nonfiction

132 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Michael Schafer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating to read the complex reflections of those forcibly removed from Vinegar Hill, a thriving, mostly Black, mixed-income neighborhood in Charlottesville. As with its confederate statues, the city must atone and repair.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The subject matter is very interesting and an area that’s important to learn about, however, I did not enjoy the writing style used to tell this story. It was very clunky, disjointed and frankly hard to follow at times. There was little consistency in what we’re and we’re not quotes from people. It’s a shame that this important story was not presented in a format that is easier to follow and read.

[Danielle]

Informative on Project R4 in Virginia