Ivy Creek Natural Area

Hugh Carr was born into slavery sometime about 1840. After emancipation, he became a farm worker, and in 1870 purchased the first 58 acres of the farm he would name Riverview. In 1875, as the farm manager at Woodlawn Farm, where he had been enslaved, he saved money to expand his own farm operation, eventually acquiring 120 acres by 1890. Carr managed to send five of his seven children to college and to transfer his economically successful operation over to a daughter and son-in-law. The stately house and barn he built are still standing. The barn, which is open to the public, contains exhibits and houses the foundation offices. The land, now 200 acres, is managed as a nature education center, with historical exhibits on the Carr family. Carr is buried in the family graveyard at Riverview. To learn about Carr and his family before your visit, see the history pages of the foundation website.