How We Got Here

Ann Arbor’s North Central Neighborhood is one of the oldest in the city. From the mid 19th century on, it was an important center of African-American life in Ann Arbor. That presence was institutionalized in the first half of the 20th century, when black Ann Arborites were prevented from buying homes or renting apartments elsewhere in the city.

The North Central Property Owners Association was founded in 1958 by Rev. C. W. Patterson of 2nd Baptist Church (then located at Fifth and Beakes) and Walter Wickliffe, a lifelong neighborhood resident and city forester. They led the fight against an urban renewal plan that would have demolished most of the homes and businesses in the North Central neighborhood, dispossessing hundreds of residents. The plan was defeated, and ever since NCPOA has worked with residents, businesses, and city leaders to revitalize the area.

See Eve Silberman’s 1998 Ann Arbor Observer article for more on urban renewal and the origins of NCPOA.