The Department of Historic Resources (DHR) posted a new slide show for their web feature “Historic Virginia, Site of the Month.” This month DHR features images and highlights of the changing nature of the circa-1824 Henry County Courthouse, which found new life in 2010 thanks to grants from Save America’s Treasures and the local Harvest … More Martinsville Courthouse Historic Virginia Site of the Month
While the typical New Year’s resolution is abandoned somewhere around the long Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend, there is a certain feeling of “anything’s possible” in the air during these first few weeks of January. Now really can be a good time to set some goals. Go ahead, think big. If you don’t stretch yourself to do … More New Year’s Resolution Poll
In celebration of Virginia Main Street’s 25th anniversary year, Main Street Now, the magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center, recently profiled the three communities that have maintained VMS designation throughout the quarter century. Over that 25 years, the communities – Bedford, Franklin, and Winchester – have navigated rocky economic terrain with strategies that make the most … More Virginia’s quarter century communities featured in Main Street Now
On Sep. 22 and 23, Advance Abingdon hosted 70 downtown revitalization professionals and volunteers from across Virginia for a training and knowledge share of best practices in the organization and promotion of downtown revitalization efforts. National Trust Main Street Center Senior Program Officer Kathy LaPlante, a nationally recognized expert on community based downtown revitalization, presented … More Downtown leaders cover Main Street Essentials at Abingdon training
As the television show’s narrator said, “There are eight million stories in The Naked City.” So your downtown district must be good for at least 50, right? Consider the history of your buildings, the successes of your emerging entrepreneurs, and the transitions you’ve seen firsthand in the last decade. You have stories that can inspire action … More Telling your revitalization story
A Sunday travel piece in the Knoxville News Sentinel this weekend presented readers with all they need to know for a weekend trip to Abingdon, Virginia’s historic district. The article included an itenerary of things to see on a self-guided tour (brochure available at the visitor’s center), including a run-down of retail, restaurant, and lodging busineesses in this Virginia Main Street (VMS) … More Essential trip planning: Abingdon, Virginia
Frequently older community members will talk in downtown meetings about what it was like when foot traffic was shoulder to shoulder, and when everyone went to Main Street to go to the movies. Soon one might hear a young voice from the back of the room say, “What do you mean went to the the movies? Why didn’t they just … More Main Street across the generations
This is just a reminder: thank those who make what you do possible. “Thank you” is one of those simple must-dos, one so simple, in fact, that we sometimes overlook it. And it’s too bad, because showing the sincere appreciation of an organization, the people who run it, and the people who benefit from it is a … More Thank you, thank you, thank you.
For fund development efforts, Main Street organizations have no better tool than the Internal Revenue Service’s designation as a 501 (c) 3 organization. Lately some communities have struggled for it, trying hard to clarify the nuances of how Main Street groups pursue their goals so that they are not designated as economic development or membership organizations. … More Main Street organizations and nonprofit status
When you think about it, Main Street is an easy sell. Supporting local merchants, caring for older buildings, and maintaining community character all have a feel-good quality; instinctively they’re the right things to do. And the community of volunteers and stakeholders who make it happen sell it the best. With inexpensive technology and free hosting … More I want my M(ain Street)TV
Virginia Main Street 