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The Historic West End

The streets around Johnson C. Smith University are an important starting point for the history of Black Charlotte. The Historic West End connects neighborhood histories, churches, schools, public art and ongoing concerns about displacement. Begin with a named destination or a published walking route rather than treating the whole west side as one small district.

In this guide
Elevated view across a neighbourhood of bare winter trees and rooftops, with a red brick building topped by a tall clock tower at the centre.
Johnson C. Smith University seen across the Historic West End. James Willamor · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

A network of distinct neighborhoods

The Historic West End digital mapping project combines photographs, newspapers, documents and oral histories to tell the stories of African American communities around Johnson C. Smith University. Its collections include school desegregation, highways, bombings and civil rights. The project records both community survival and concerns about displacement as development changes the area.

Neighborhoods in the wider West End do not share one racial or development history. Biddleville, Washington Heights, McCrorey Heights and Oaklawn Park are important places to begin exploring Black Charlotte's history. Wesley Heights illustrates another part of the story: Mecklenburg County describes its transition from an overwhelmingly white neighborhood to a Black neighborhood in the 1970s, in the context of school integration, blockbusting and urban renewal. County history of the Ziglar-Bowers House and Wesley Heights

A colour-printed linen postcard captioned 'Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, N. C.', showing an illustrated view of a red brick building with a tall clock tower and steep slate roofs at the left, a white-columned portico on a brick building at the right, and clipped shrubs and paths between them.
Johnson C. Smith University on an illustrated linen postcard. An artist's rendering, not a photograph. UNC Libraries Commons · Public domain · source

Two National Register listings in 2026

McCrorey Heights and Oaklawn Park were both listed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 26, 2026. This is the date of the listing action, not merely the earlier nomination notice. National Park Service weekly actions

The NPS describes McCrorey Heights as roughly bounded by I-77, Oaklawn Avenue, Fairmont Street and the Brookshire Freeway/NC-16. Oaklawn Park's listed boundaries refer to I-77, Waddell Street Park, Oaklawn Cemetery, Mulberry Avenue and Russell Avenue. These are district descriptions, not visitor routes or permission to enter private property.

Buildings and public art

Biddle Memorial Hall is the clock-towered landmark on Johnson C. Smith University's campus. It has been on the National Register since 1975. NPS North Carolina listings Plan around an exterior view unless the university has confirmed arrangements for your visit; a historic listing does not establish public interior access.

First Baptist Church–West is at 1801 Oaklawn Avenue. The McCrorey Heights history project dates the congregation to 1867 and the dedication of its present sanctuary to 1977. Its building-permit record names Gantt-Huberman Associates as architect. Harvey Gantt later became Charlotte's first Black mayor. Church history and permit record

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church's own history recalls forty people meeting in homes and dates the move to its current address, 3400 Beatties Ford Road, to August 2006. Check the church's current arrangements before a visit.

For a route with named art stops, ArtWalks CLT's Historic West End walk starts and returns to Five Points Plaza. It includes J. Stacy Utley and Evoke Studio Architecture's Even Higher sculpture and documents Jamil Dyair Steele's 2022 West End Gateway mural at the West Trade Street/I-77 underpass. The city also documents that underpass project in its 2022 Urban Design Center report. Check the current route before setting out; outdoor artworks and surrounding access can change.

Arriving and walking

The Gold Line serves the West End along West Trade Street and Beatties Ford Road, with stops at Wesley Heights, Bruns Avenue, Johnson C. Smith and French Street. Choose the stop for your first destination. Check CATS for current service, fares and alerts; the stops are not all on Beatties Ford Road. City corridor description

For a greenway outing, use the West Charlotte greenways guide to choose an actual segment and access point. Check the county's current greenway information for notices before going. This page does not establish the number of available parking spaces or the presence or absence of restrooms at every entrance.

Further reading

The Historic West End project's map and collections are a useful next step because they connect places with residents' accounts. For another part of the city's history of displacement, read Brooklyn.

Sources and limits

Checked October 4, 2026, America/New_York. This guide covers historical orientation, selected landmarks and source-led walking options. It does not promise campus or church entry, current business hours, an accessible surveyed route or parking availability. Confirm those details with the relevant operator before visiting.

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