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Wesley Heights
 Immediately bordering the Uptown, Wesley Heights is the only registered historic district to the West of the Uptown. This neighborhood, only a few blocks wide, provides the tree canopied streets and historic homes that are today’s rage. The first home built in Wesley Heights was constructed in 1911 although the neighborhood saw the most growth in the mid 1920’s. Once served by the city’s street car system, the neighborhood prospered until the urban sprawl of the 1970’s Moving into the 1980’s, crime became rampant and the neighborhood deteriorated as the urban core was no longer favored. When Judge Shirley Fulton and her husband, Leon Orr, decided to buy a home in the area, the neighborhood offered little more than proximity to workplaces and access to the Interstate. When they moved to their home in 1990, a neighborhood organization was in the early stages of development. Under the leadership of Judge Fulton the neighborhood began the early stages of rebuilding. She shared her expertise by writing the organization's bylaws and filing for a Historic District designation. With the tax incentives from the designation as a Historic District, many more people began to redevelop rental housing in the neighborhood, concentrating on historical and architectural authenticity.  At the turn of the century, the neighborhood began to reap the benefits of the work of many pioneers. Over the last decade, the neighborhood has seen substantial growth in multi-family homes and renovation of older homes that is the face of the current neighborhood. Many of the older homes have been renovated and others have been built new. The Lela Court subdivision of Wesley Heights is a section of land that was previously flood zone and wasted land. This new area of the neighborhood features single family homes and townhomes alike. Many of the original homes in Wesley Heights have the look and feel to homes found in the Elizabeth neighborhood. Not surprising since many of the same people involved in developing Wesley Heights were involved in developing Elizabeth. The neighborhood was originally farmland owned by the Wadsworth family. The Wadsworth House still remains in Wesley Heights and is a Historic Landmark and is currently used as a meeting and conference facility.  There are many features of the neighborhood that people find attractive today. Residents enjoy both a convenient proximity of the neighborhood to the Uptown and the ease of access to the greenway with walking trails and parks. Compared to the other Historic Districts near the Uptown, Wesley Heights offers a more reasonable degree of affordability that draws many Uptown dwellers that are looking for a convenient location with the neighborhood feel.
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