Wesley Chapel

Although the Village of Wesley Chapel was not incorporated until 1998, Wesley Chapel as a community has existed since the early 1800s.  The center of the Wesley Chapel community was the intersection of Potters Road and Highway 84.  Here the Wesley Chapel Methodist Church started in a brush arbor about 1832 with a church building built shortly thereafter.  The various church buildings in Wesley Chapel held school classes from the beginning.  What is believed to be the first rural public high school in North Carolina was established at Wesley Chapel in 1904.  A new brick school building was built at Wesley Chapel in 1922.  Today,Wesley Chapel Elementary School at the Potters Road/Highway 84 intersection continues the educational tradition of the village.

Wesley Chapel incorporated in 1998 with approximately 2500 acres.  It has grown to over 5300 acres through involuntary annexations since then.  The current town center is at the intersection of Highway 84 and Waxhaw-Indian Trail Road.  Commercial development here includes a community retail center with a grocery store and other shops.  Construction of a Target store is underway along with additional retail stores.  The Village is now considering whether to donate six acres owned by the town at this intersection for a YMCA facility. 

Community Planning for the Future

A community visioning and planning process is underway in the village.  Results of a September 2007 community survey provides a glimpse of the lifestyles of Wesley Chapel residents.  Seventy one percent are newcomers, having lived in Wesley Chapel for nine years or less. Twenty five percent of survey respondents work at home while 36 percent commute 50 or more miles per day.  Approximately 23 percent of the commuters drive to Uptown Charlotte while another 35% drive to South Charlotte.

When asked for lifestyle preferences, most survey respondents prefer preserving the rural small town atmosphere and agricultural activity of the area. Most prefer single family homes on large lots. Eighty seven percent favor open green space and recreation areas.