Alley Revitalization in Berryville

The Town of Berryville’s Hogan’s Alley has undergone a recent facelift. The once well-worn alleyway is now a vibrant space honoring the town’s beloved former manager, the late John Hogan. The alley connects West Main Street to the Crow Street parking lot and is a functional walkway for residents and visitors. Led by Berryville Main Street (BMS), the goal of the revitalization project was to create a more inviting space with improved pedestrian safety, along with a new public gathering space within the Main Street district.

The enhanced alley now features a mural, string lights, planters, new bollards, and a historic iron window guard from the former Berryville Train Depot. The window guard was repaired at a local welder’s school and installed at the alley’s northern entrance—giving a nod to the town’s railroad history. The mural, titled A Genuine Vacation, was painted by local artist Amanda Horn and is a tribute to the town’s agricultural heritage—featuring a “Welcome to Berryville” sign and 1798 postmark referencing Berryville’s charter.

Hogan’s Alley was originally developed in the mid-1970s when the town installed an underground drainpipe to channel runoff from West Main Street and alleviate flooding issues. Current drainage issues were addressed during the revitalization project and water runoff was redirected from neighboring buildings into a storm drain. To ensure pedestrian safety, an existing utility pole was upgraded to support new electric service connection points for commercial-grade string lights and removable bollards were installed to keep vehicles out. Lastly, the alley’s surface was repaired and painted with an athletic-grade coating to mitigate winter ice concerns.

A $12,500 Community Vitality Grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) helped fund the project, but it was community collaboration that made it possible. BMS’s partnership with the Town was integral and more than $4,000 total volunteer hours were leveraged to complete this project. Additionally, local businesses, such as Living Landscape Design who generously sponsored six commercial-grade planters, played a key role.

“Berryville Main Street is proud to have been a part of honoring former Town Manager John Hogan through revitalizing Hogan’s Alley. Mr. Hogan was instrumental in leading the efforts in the 1980s-1990s to develop the Berryville Area Development Plan which safeguards the Historic Downtown business district by restricting any possibility that a strip mall can be built on the outskirts of the Town of Berryville. We are forever grateful for his wisdom in protecting Downtown Berryville.”

– Christina Kraybill, President of BMS

The alleyway dedication ceremony on November 14 marked the completion of the project and unveiled an interpretive sign highlighting the alley’s namesake. Hogan’s Alley, which has been added to the Town’s Special Events Permit Application, is now a vibrant community asset reflecting Berryville’s historical charm and community spirit.