Question of the Day - 23 April 2019

Yes, the Carver House was a five-story hotel-casino at 400 W. Jackson Street on Las Vegas' Westside.

It's certainly obscured by the more famous — although less financially successful — Moulin Rouge. Also, the Carver House's exterior was somewhat Soviet in appearance, just a plain concrete rectangle with windows (you can see an image of it at VintageLasVegas.com). 

It opened in July 1961 and stood until the late 1980s, when it made way for a vacant lot, “currently not for sale” according to zillow.com.

Remarkably little has been documented about the Carver House, which perhaps contributes to the value of souvenirs: A $25 chip now goes for $35. We know it had a casino (thanks to the chips) and a lounge; in the photo, Calvin "Eagle Eye" Shields is advertised on the marquee, along with Paul Bryant, Morris Patterson, Patience Valentine, and Lottie Miss Body. 

Calvin Shields (on the drums) and His All-Stars was the house band at the Carver House until Shields joined up with singer/actress Della Reese's backing band at the Flamingo; Shields stayed with Reese's band from 1967 to 1973. From 1978 to 1984, he was the music director and drummer for Redd Foxx's band when he appeared at the Sahara, Landmark, and Hacienda.

Patience Valentine was a singer-songwriter with a few hits; we couldn't find any information on the rest of the performers on the marquee. 

Given the paucity of information on Carver House and other African-American-oriented casinos around Westside, perhaps the boffins at the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas should offer a fellowship to study the topic.