Debra Farst, Texas Main Street Program State Coordinator, Nacogdoches Main Street Manager Sarah OBrien, and Deputy Executive Director, Texas Historical Commission Terry Colley, are present last week at Hotel Fredonia during the 2011 Texas Downtown Association Annual Conference.
The City of Nacogdoches Main Street Program has been commended for its successful annual progress as a designated Main Street community. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and its Texas Main Street Program (TMSP) made the announcement November 2nd at the annual statewide downtown revitalization conference co-hosted by the TMSP and the Texas Downtown Association, in historic downtown Nacogdoches at Hotel Fredonia. Nacogdoches was also one of a twenty eight communities recognized for having been nationally recognized 10 years or more since 1999, when the National Recognition program began. “We had such a great week hosting this conference,” said Main Street Manager Sarah O’Brien. “It is an honor that we were able to receive this recognition on our own turf.”
The 55 National Recognition cities, which represent the real places of Texas, include: Amarillo, Bastrop, Bay City, Beaumont, Brenham, Bridgeport, Canton, Canyon, Carthage, Celina, Colorado City, Corsicana, Del Rio, Denton, Electra, Elgin, Farmersville, Ferris, Georgetown, Goliad, Gonzales, Graham, Grapevine, Greenville, Harlingen, Henderson, Hillsboro, Huntsville, Kerrville, La Grange, Laredo, Levelland, Livingston, Llano, Longview, Lufkin, McKinney, Mount Pleasant, Mount Vernon, Nacogdoches, New Braunfels, Odessa, Palestine, Paris, Pecos, Plainview, Rio Grande City, Rockwall, San Angelo, San Marcos, Seguin, Taylor, Waxahachie, Weatherford and Winnsboro. These cities will be further recognized as Nationally Accredited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation next April in Baltimore, MD at the annual conference of the National Trust Main Street Center.
“Throughout 2011 we have been celebrating the Texas Main Street Program’s 30 years of progress, having taken our first designated cities in 1981. Recognizing these cities for their efforts in revitalizing their historic downtowns takes on special meaning this year. The programs being acknowledged are large and small from all areas of the state, showing that the Main Street model is appropriate for all kinds of communities with historic downtowns,” said Debra Farst, TMSP state coordinator.
National accredited Main Street cities show above average performance in ten categories on an annual report. Selection criteria focus on planning, partnerships, staffing, volunteer effort, preservation ethic, training and program assessment through reporting. For additional information about the national Main Street effort, visit the National Trust Main Street web site at http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/. For more information on the Texas Historical Commission’s Main Street program visit www.thc.state.tx.us.
The THC’s Texas Main Street Program is a revitalization program for historic downtown and neighborhood commercial districts. It is based on a Four-Point Approach™ — organization, design, promotion and economic restructuring, all within the context of historic preservation. Implemented in 1981, the program has assisted approximately 165 communities throughout the state. For more information, contact Debra Farst at 512/463-5758.
