Understanding the Historic West End

'Historic West End' is commonly used for the corridors and neighborhoods northwest of Uptown along West Trade Street and Beatties Ford Road, anchored by Johnson C. Smith University. City initiatives, business groups, and residents have used the term in slightly different ways.

Overlapping names, different meanings

• 'West End' may describe a broad area west of Uptown, including Wesley Heights and Seversville.
• 'Historic West End' often emphasizes the Beatties Ford Road corridor, Biddleville, and the university.
• Local historic district boundaries are formal and narrower — they do not follow either informal name.

Why it matters

Each neighborhood in this coverage area has its own history. Lumping them together can erase specific Black community histories or overstate a property's connection to a district. We name the neighborhood whenever we can.