All Special Collections

Real estate development company W.C. & A.N. Miller began publishing a community newsletter, The Leaves of Wesley Heights, in 1925 to promote the Wesley Heights neighborhood they were developing at the time. Wesley Heights, a small and affluent neighborhood in upper northwest Washington, D.C., was originally founded in 1890 by a land speculation group led by John Waggaman and primarily financed by Charles C. Glover. The area saw significant growth during the 1920s under the direction of brothers William C. and Allison N. Miller.

American University Archives & Special Collections holds the company’s “personal” copies of the newsletter. This collection is incomplete, spanning issues from 1928 through 2006. In 1956, the publication expanded its coverage to include other upper northwest neighborhoods, such as Sumner (Bethesda, Maryland) and Spring Valley (Washington, D.C.). The Leaves of Wesley Heights featured community news and events, including graduations, school activities, and weddings. Regular columns included gardening tips, a calendar of events, the “House of the Month,” and updates from the company.