A Growth Point is such because it is meant to grow into a town of sorts, complete with its own industries and housing estates.
Gwengwerere was started as the government's post independence attempt to develop the whole country and allow people to improve their lot without necessarily migrating to large towns and cities to find work.
The concept of a growth point was based on providing everything the people need as close to them as possible, thus keeping communities intact while collectively building the nation.
Investors, mainly in the form of commercial businessmen, were helped to put up structures and start viable businesses, either as individuals or as co-operatives.
Many post independence blacks were experienced only in farming, shop keeping, pubs, grinding mills, and transport.
The main reason seems to be the fact that Chatsworth started to die off as the white commercial farmers, who had been supporting it, and the passenger train encouraging traffic through it was stopped.
There are houses which were built as part of the Growth point, but because the project started in the middle of an existing community, there are homesteads all round it.
So far the official Gwengerere Growth Point covers an area smaller than half a football pitch.