Carver Houses, or George Washington Carver Houses, is a public housing development built and maintained by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) in Spanish Harlem, a neighborhood of Manhattan, at .[1][2] The development is named after George Washington Carver (1864-1943), an African American chemist, botanist, and educator who, despite being born a slave, developed many uses for soybeans, peanuts, and sweet potatoes, including 325 for peanuts.[1] George Washington Carver spent much time working to improve other African Americans' lives.[1]
Carver Houses has 13 buildings, on a campus with an area of 14.63 acres (5.92 ha).[1] Nine of those (I-II, V-IX, XII-XIII) are fifteen stories tall, while the other four (III-IV, X-XI) are six stories tall.[3] The development is bordered by East 99th Street to the south, East 106th Street to the north, Park Avenue to the east, and Madison Avenue to the west.[1] In addition, East 102nd Street and East 104th Street run through the campus.[4] The nine buildings of Carver Houses have a total of 1,246 apartments housing approximately 2,723 residents.[1]
Carver Houses was completed January 31, 1958.[1] Kahn & Jacobs designed the complex.[3]
Alberta Slappy is currently serving as Resident Association President for Carver Houses, and is a member of the Manhattan South District Citywide Council of Presidents.[5]
Carver Houses is serviced by the twenty-third precinct of the New York City Police Department, and is governed by Manhattan Community Board 11.[6][7]