Westerwood Walking Tour

Beginning with the magnificent Double Oaks mansion on Mendenhall Street, this tour will weave the history of Westerwood from the late nineteenth century to the present. Built on a hill just a west of Greensboro’s village center, the area was first developed in the 1890s as the home of Dr. John Thomas Johnson Battle. His home, known as The Cedars, was among Greensboro’s most exuberant Queen Anne homes. It stood until the 1960s.

Property surrounding The Cedars was developed first as the Highlands, then rebranded as Oakwood Park, before being rechristened as Westerwood in 1919. Westerwood’s developer was the Greensboro real estate promoter-extraordinaire Arthur Kirby Moore, who used public contests and media to promote his subdivision. Sales were brisk throughout the Roaring Twenties, and examples of heartachingly charming bungalows can be seen lining the streets of the neighborhood.

Preservation Greensboro’s urban guide Ryan Gray will provide insights and anecdotal stories about Dr. Battle, A. K. Moore, and other personalities that have led to the development of Westerwood as one of the Gate City’s star-nighborhoods. Tours will take an hour and a half depending on questions.

Meet in one the sidewalk in front of the Double Oaks (private home) at 204 North Mendenhall Street. Rain or shine, cancelled only if thunder is heard. Wear comfortable shoes!