10th & Page Neighborhood

10th and Page is a compact neighborhood of about 84 acres, named for a street intersection near the center of the neighborhood. John West, a formerly enslaved emancipated man, developed much of the neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th century. The neighborhood was kept predominantly Black throughout the 20th century.

10th and Page was part of a network of Black neighborhoods and communities that was more evident in the geography of the town during the first half of the twentieth century. At that time, connections between 10th & Page, Starr Hill and Vinegar Hill were more obvious than now and there was much traffic between the residential areas and Vinegar Hill, which included the Black business district.

Over the years, many residents of 10th and Page worked at the UVA Hospital and at Monticello and Albemarle Hotels. Also, railroad employees both Black and white lived here. This area was racially diverse and enjoyed a solid sense of community. After the 1965 destruction of the Vinegar Hill neighborhood, 10th and Page became the largest Black neighborhood in the city of Charlottesville.

A couple of the many 10th and Page notable Black residents include Benjamin Tonsler, a successful contractor and restaurant owner; John West, a barber and real estate developer for whom West St. and the housing project Westhaven are named. There were also many educators and entrepreneurs, including small business owners in the neighborhood.


“When I was growing up in this neighborhood everyone knew everyone, and it was a small, tight knit community. Today there’s a lot of building going on, speeding is a problem, property assessments and taxes have risen, and we’re facing a wave of gentrification. 10th & Page is one of the last of the predominantly Black neighborhoods in Charlottesville and it deserves protection.”