Westwood, Memphis, Tennessee
Westwood, a neighborhood in South Memphis, west of Whitehaven, has many pleasant homes. Also, the neighborhood is home to several churches, recreation facilities, businesses and schools including the more than 4,000 member Mt Vernon Baptist Church Westwood, Charles Powell Community Center, Westwood Swimming Pool, Westwood Shopping Center, Double Tree Montessori School, Westwood Elementary School and Westwood High School.
Boundaries
Westwood is bounded by South Third on the east, the ICRR on the west, Raines Road on the north and West Shelby Drive on the south.
History
The Weaver Family, whose ancestors owned a 4,000-acre (16 km2) cotton plantation, sold some of their land in the 1950s for development of a subdivision in the southern section of Shelby County. The subdivision became Westwood and later the area in and near the subdivision was annexed into Memphis. As the neighborhood grew in the 1960s, businesses were built and established to serve the residents. Along with the growth of Westwood, was The Hill Top which includes the Double Tree Road vicinity. The growth continued in the 1970s when a large number of blacks began moving into the neighborhood. In 1973, Rev. James Netters moved his congregation, Mt Vernon Baptist Church, from Mississippi Boulevard to the former all-white Westwood Baptist Church on Parkrose. In 1991, the renovation of Mt Vernon Baptist Church Westwood was completed and now it is one of the largest congregations in Memphis.
References
- McCorkle, Anna Leigh (1967). Tales Of Old Whitehaven.
Coordinates: 35°01′48″N 90°05′56″W / 35.0300°N 90.0990°W