[3][4][5] Originally, the area where the Santa Helena neighborhood is located belonged to Joaquim Cézar Santos, who settled in the current municipality of Coronel Fabriciano to work for Belgo-Mineira at the end of the 1930s.

The company contributed to structural and economic development alongside the Belgo and Acesita industrial centers, which were responsible for the population growth.

[5][6] The Santa Helena Sawmill became one of the main charcoal producers in the region, supplying raw materials to local industries and small furniture factories and making wooden floors, which were soon replaced by slate and ceramics.

[5] In the 1960s, an accident on the Vitória-Minas Railway (EFVM) with a train carrying fuel wagons parked near the Santa Helena Sawmill severely affected its facilities and contributed to its closure.

As a result, Santa Helena became a highly valued residential neighborhood due to its proximity to the downtown Fabriciano and its access to urban services and leisure.

The neighborhood has a considerable presence of vacant lots, which are often used improperly for dumping garbage and burning, causing a risk of disease transmission and contamination of the soil and the local hydrography.

[13][14][15][16][11] In 2010, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) estimated that 1 359 inhabitants lived in the neighborhood, which is comparable to cities in Minas Gerais such as Cedro do Abaeté and Serra da Saudade.

[2][1][17] The neighborhood is highly valued by the real estate sector, as there is a predominance of residential housing next to downtown Fabriciano, one of the main commercial areas in the region.

Every year the Arraiá do Bastião also occurs near the church, with square dance performances and the sale and consumption of typical food in stalls, bringing together the population of Santa Helena and nearby neighborhoods.