In the West End of Richmond, Virginia—from Glenburnie Road to Dunbar Street and from Stokes Lane to the 5400 block of Patterson Avenue—lives a neighborhood humble in form, steeped in legacy, and treasured by generations: Historic Westwood.

Following the Civil War, Black Virginians, including formerly enslaved people from nearby plantations, established Westwood Village on the banks of Jordan’s Branch, a freshwater stream that feeds into the Chickahominy River.

As recorded in Henrico County’s Deed Book, in 1876, land was transferred to Westwood Baptist Church “for the benefit use & disposal only of the members of the congregation,” and subdivided into housing plots.

Outside city limits, Westwood grew into its deeded land with a store, a two-room schoolhouse, social clubs, shared recreational spaces, and a vibrant, largely self-sustaining community.

By the early 20th century, affluent white residential areas began to develop around Westwood in what is today Richmond’s West End. In 1942, Westwood was annexed by the City.

For years, the community was denied access to utilities while officials weighed various proposals to demolish Westwood’s homes and create a park. Following several public meetings, and the return of 40 Black WWII servicemen and women who sought to build homes, on April 6, 1947, an editorial ran in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, stating that, “Seldom, if ever, have as many white Richmonders been as aroused over any issue involving interracial justice,” and that the decision the City made regarding Westwood would “hinge the verdict as to whether Richmond believes in fairness and justice.”

On April 8, the City Council passed a resolution to extend water and sewer mains. That same day, the Council tabled a contentious plan to expand Westwood’s village roads and build new roads. As Selden Richardson noted in Built By Blacks, the road project “would have done serious damage to the houses of the area that are often sited close to the street on small lots.”

The following year, Daisy Jane Cooper was born. In 1958, so that Jane could attend a nearby school, her mother, Elizabeth Cooper, served as the lead plaintiff in a landmark case against the Richmond School Board and the State Pupil Placement Board. Her perseverance resulted in the 1961 U.S. District Court order that struck down the State's ability to block enforcement of Brown v. the Board of Education, and led to the desegregation of Richmond Public Schools.

On September 5, 1961, Jane became the first African American student to integrate Westhampton Junior High School. One year later, she became the first to integrate Thomas Jefferson High School.

Westwood has also nurtured other iconic leaders, including Arthur Ashe, the international tennis champion and civic leader (whose mother grew up in Westwood and whose grandmother was a deaconess at the Church), Dr. Benjamin Lambert, Virginia State Senator, Rev. Dwight Jones, Richmond City Mayor, and many others.

Today, while historically Black neighborhoods throughout Richmond have been subject to redlining, significant redevelopment, and fragmentation, reinforcing significant health and quality of life disparities, the heart of Westwood remains a cohesive, walkable, green, and neighborly community, with a unique enclave of small single-family homes owned by generations of African Americans.

It is a rare surviving settlement founded by Black Virginians after Emancipation and a bastion of resilience, thanks to Virginians who have fought for its preservation over more than 150 years, including descendants of the original freedmen who founded Westwood, still attend Westwood Baptist Church, and participate in neighborhood celebrations — from Food Truck Mondays, to Homecoming, Earth Day, and National Night Out.