Local non-profit hosting celebration of historic African American farm

River View Farm was originally purchased in 1870 by a formerly enslaved man named Hugh Carr, who went on to become one of the largest African American landowners in Albemarle County.

Carr and his wife, Texie Mae Hawkins, had seven children, many of which went on to become educators and community leaders in Albemarle County and throughout the country. His daughter, Mary Carr Greer, was an educator who went on to become the first female principal at Albemarle Training School and has a local elementary school named after her.

Conly Greer, her husband, was the first African American Extension Agent in Albemarle County.

On Sunday, April 3, from 1-3 p.m., the Ivy Creek Foundation, the non-profit which cares for Ivy Creek Natural Area and historic River View Farm, will host a celebration of River View Farm that will explore the land and buildings now on the National Register of Historic Places.

This celebration is in partnership with the B.F. Yancey School Community Center in Esmont and continues on the joint Black History Month dialogue with Ivy Creek Nature Area and Historic River View Farm on the history of black farming in Albemarle County.

This celebration will include tours of the historic buildings and the land, special statements from the Ivy Foundation, and a focus on the importance of preserving special places in our community.

If you would like to register for this event, email Susie Farmer, director of education, at [email protected]. or Sue Erhardt, executive director, at [email protected].

“We are excited to be partnering with the B.F. Yancey School Community Center on such a special occasion,” Erhardt said. “This family and their legacy in our community are something that should be remembered and celebrated.”

The Ivy Creek Foundation’s vision is to inspire and engage our community in the stewardship of our natural resources and our rich African American cultural history.

For more information on The Ivy Creek Foundation, Ivy Creek Natural Area, and Historic River View Farm, visit ivycreekfoundation.org.