Heritage Hill is Grand Rapids’ oldest historic district. Recognized by the National Register of Historic Places, most of the neighborhood’s homes were built between 1840 and 1920.

Early residents included lumber barons, teachers, judges and legislators. The neighborhood reflects this diverse population with homes built in a variety of architectural styles, including Greek Revival, Italianate, Colonial Revival, and Shingle. The Meyer May House at 450 Madison Avenue, fashioned from brick in the Prairie style, was Frank Lloyd Wright’s first commission in the state of Michigan. Now the most completely restored of Wright’s homes, it is open for tours several days a week.

Located on a rise overlooking downtown Grand Rapids, Heritage Hill extends from Michigan Street in the north to Pleasant SE in the south. Union Avenue forms the eastern border, Lafayette the western. Occupying the same ground where the city’s first settlers once built trading posts and missions, today Heritage Hill is home to a mixed population of professionals, artisans, and students.

And yet, in the late sixties and early seventies Heritage Hill narrowly avoided demolition. An urban renewal project would have leveled 75% of the neighborhood if local residents hadn’t intervened. They formed the Heritage Hill Association and, in cooperation with national groups, secured protection for the district under the National Historic Preservation Act.

Today, the Heritage Hill Association responds to the needs of residents through education, crime prevention, planning and other activities. It is a model for many other neighborhood associations. The Heritage Hill Foundation continues to preserve and rehabilitate historic homes, as well as organize walking tours of the district–including a yearly Home Tour, held in May, when private homes and historic buildings are opened to visitors.

A tour of the neighborhood shouldn’t miss the Voigt House, a three-story brick mansion built in 1895 and located at 115 College SE, or the Amberg House, at 505 College SE, commissioned from Frank Lloyd Wright in 1909 but designed and constructed by an architect in his firm, Marion Mahoney. For overnight visitors, the Brayton House, at 516 College SE, is an 1889 Georgian Revival home that’s been converted into a B&B.