Click the map above for a larger version
The Little High Neighborhood is located due east of the Downtown Mall and is bounded by East Water Street by the Belmont Bridge to Meade Ave at the railroad crossing; Meade Avenue from the railroad crossing to where it meets East High Street; East High Street to 9th Street NE; and 9th Street NE to (but not including) the Belmont Bridge where it goes off-road to East Water Street. The neighborhood is a good mix of single family residential homes, several apartment and condominium buildings, and small locally owned businesses (including some very popular restaurants: Beer Run, La Michoacana, and Holly’s Diner).
A Very Quick and Hopelessly Inadequate History
The Little High neighborhood is more or less centered around The Farm (aka Lewis Farm), an antebellum plantation built in the 1820s and completely intact and in use as a private residence today. The Farm originally included more than a thousand acres. The house was built and the surrounding land was worked by enslaved persons. At present, we know a few bits of historical trivia such as the fact that Custer slept there, but we don’t know the more important stories about the enslaved people who built it and worked it and created the wealth. The neighborhood association is determined to try to gather whatever history is available about the enslaved people at the Farm and we’ve pestered a few professional historians to help guide us. Anyone with good historical research skills is more than welcome to help us pull together information about the place. Anyone who is willing to help should contact us right away.
Here are a few sources of historical information about the 19th and early 20th century history of the neighborhood:
- Mapping Cville
- Wikipedia entry for Lewis Farm (aka The Farm) — This Wikipedia entry is in serious need of editing (as of 2/4/22) as it includes no mention of slavery.
- Preliminary Information form for Historic Districts
The Little High Neighborhood Association
Any person residing in the Little High Neighborhood is a de facto member of the neighborhood association (LHNA). The Little High Neighborhood Association board is comprised of neighborhood volunteers. All residents are eligible to serve on the board. Information on joining the LHNA board can be found here or by writing to the LHNA board.
The LHNA board is committed to doing what it can to foster a neighborhood that is inclusive and welcoming to all regardless of ancestry, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, income, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, disability, etc. Our neighborhood board is especially committed to providing practical help where possible to our elderly or vulnerable residents, to promoting affordable housing both within our neighborhood and throughout the greater Charlottesville community, to promoting automobile traffic safety, to improving the walkability of our neighborhood, and to efforts to help reduce our carbon footprint and foster environmental sustainability. For more information on our goals, see our Constitution & Bylaws.
Neighborhood Association Dues
The suggested payment amount is $25-$35 per residence per year. Otherwise, it’s pay what you can. ALL neighborhood residents are members of the Little High Neighborhood Association entitled to full and equal membership by virtue of their residency alone. In other words, paying dues is NOT strictly required: you live here, you’re in. But dues is very much appreciated because it allows us to do more things and not have to rely on generous individuals.
Ways to pay
Checks can be made out to the “Little High Neighborhood Association” and mailed to our Treasurer Julia Rubarth at 1208 E. Jefferson. Dues can also be paid through Venmo (Venmo id: @LittleHighNA).
The LHNA has zero overhead. All money collected in dues goes directly toward various projects to improve neighborhood life (e.g., neighborhood backyard concerts, picnics, bonfires, and other gatherings throughout the year) and to help neighbors and members of the broader Charlottesville community with specific and limited needs.
No member of the neighborhood association board receives payment of any kind for their time or for any service provided on behalf of the LHNA board.
