The Business and Neighborood Life of Vinegar Hill
Vinegar Hill, the area of West Main Street beginning from the
bottom of
the hill leading west from downtown Charlottesville, was often referred
to as Random Row due to the apparently random placement of homes and
buildings. During the early part of the century, Vinegar Hill was mostly
filled with black owned businesses that provided necessity for blacks and
offer alternatives for whites. The Hill catered to the community with a
wide range of service and industrial businesses that brought commerce and
interaction among the two racial groups. Along with the businesses,
African Americans had ownership of their housing properties. As a
result of discrimination and segregation, many blacks of different
economic and educational status found themselves as neighbor, and thus
called Vinegar Hill home.
Memories of Vinegar Hill by Ella
Baylor