African-American West End Area

The neighborhood formerly located on the site of the baseball stadium was a noteworthy African-American area. It was established on land originally owned by Nathaniel T. Watkins, a local merchant. By the early 1900s, the area functioned as part of the West End and was home to a growing number of working-class families. The men of the neighborhood worked primarily in the city's many factories, while women found domestic work nearby. Construction of Interstate 40 and Peters Creek Parkway eliminated some houses and severed the community from adjacent areas, contributing to its decline in the latter years of the 20th century. Former residents fondly remember the once-thriving neighborhood as one possessing a strong sense of kinship and cooperation.