Heritage Hill Historic District

In the 1960s, urban renewal plans called for demolishing up to 75% of this neighborhood. Residents organized, filed suit under the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, and won — the first successful use of that law to protect a neighborhood's character. The Heritage Hill Association formed in 1968; the district landed on the National Register in 1971. What survived: roughly 1,300 homes dating to 1844, representing more than 50 architectural styles, spread across about a square mile immediately east of downtown Grand Rapids. Every May, the Association opens select homes to visitors.