We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
Todd posing next to the Edith Bolling Wilson timeline mural at the Heritage Walk in Downtown Wytheville.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Main Street in Downtown Wytheville, Virginia was the place to be. Locals from that era always mention the Soda Shop and share stories of what it was like back in the day. Upon returning home from World War II, William “Ed” Goff owned and operated the local hot spot. If you were from Wytheville or the surrounding area at the time, you certainly remember this café on Main Street. The Soda Shop was a full-service restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The café was famous for its hot cooked meals, homemade donuts, cakes, pies, ice cream floats and milkshakes. Not to mention, his wife Iona Goff ran the Central Drug Store Fountain, also in downtown Wytheville, that was a very popular spot for the locals to hang out. Unfortunately, the Soda Shop was destroyed in a fire that also took many historic buildings from downtown on New Year’s Day in 1971.
Clockwise: 1. Ed Goff (Todd's grandfather), a member of the 718th Amphibious tractor battalion stationed in Okinawa, Japan where he drove an amphibious tank hauling soldiers from ship to shore. 2. The façade of the Soda Shop on Main Street in Downtown Wytheville. 3. The interior of Todd's grandfather shop where you can see him standing behind the counter watching the packed house inside.
Fast forward almost 50 years. Downtown Wytheville is merely a shadow of what it used to be back in those days. Vacant storefronts, rundown buildings, and blighted conditions plagued every corner, a familiar story for many Main Streets across the country. The town administration and council became tired of seeing a rundown and dilapidated downtown, while other communities around us were spawning with revitalization. This prompted Tommy Hundley, an advocate of downtown and councilman at the time, to form a group and follow the Main Street Approach that other communities were successfully using. The group got the ball rolling for what is now Downtown Wytheville Incorporated.
Born and raised in Wytheville, Todd Wolford was an active volunteer for the town on the Promotions Committee, assisting with events and volunteer coordination. At the same time, he worked for the local Parks and Recreation Dept. as the Community Program Coordinator. Soon thereafter, the Downtown Wytheville Inc. Executive Director position became available and some of the locals and community members started to encourage him to apply. It wasn’t until he sat down and weighed the pros and cons that it started to feel like the right decision to make a career change.
This position is not only a chance for me to grow professionally, it has become very personal. I think about my grandfather and his time in Downtown. I feel like I need to take this leap in his honor. He would be proud to know that I am striving to bring back the legacy of what he was once a part of in Downtown. This is a chance for me to continue to make an impact on our community and create change for future generations to come. That is rewarding to me.
Since starting as Executive Director, Todd has helped the organization achieve Virginia Main Street Designation Status and national Accreditation. “We have a great team of dedicated volunteers and our relationship with local government and Town Council has been exceptional. Without their support, we couldn’t do the things we have done here in Wytheville.”
The Town of Wytheville has almost completed a $4 million-dollar streetscape renovation in which Wolford was the key contact and liaison between the property and business owners. The streetscape project is set to be complete in early 2018.
On the horizon, the group hopes to spawn another nonprofit to purchase, restore and renovate the old Millwald Theatre. This move will enhance the beautification of downtown with façade improvements and signage. Most importantly, it will continue to recruit and sustain business for job creation and economic growth.
Wolford has been a recipient of the John C. Morelles Scholarship for the past three years to attend theMain Street Now Conference on behalf of Virginia Main Street.
Main Street has come full circle for me, if it wasn’t for my grandfather and the personal tie, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I am today. We all know being a Main Street Director is a challenge on many levels, but the passion I have for this position and creating change runs deep!
Mr. Ed Goff passed away in 2001, but you can bet, he would be proud of his grandson and his efforts to bring back life to Downtown Wytheville.
Downtown Wytheville has spawned a total private investment of over 1.5 million dollars in the B2 downtown district. The organization has also generated over $480,000 of total volunteer hours in 2017. The town just obtained a $60,000 Community Business Launch grant on behalf of the Department of Housing and Community Development in which the organization raised an additional $21,500 of local matching funds. This grant itself will generate an additional $2 million dollars of private investment to the community in 2018 alone.
Main Street America is proud to recognize NewTown Macon, Madison Main Street Program, and Monroeville Main Street as 2024 Great American Main Street Award winners. All three organizations serve as exemplary models for reenergizing downtown districts through collective action that fosters vibrant downtowns through grassroots economic development, preservation with a purpose, and creative problem solving
Main Street Alabama is thrilled to welcome Main Streeters to Birmingham for Main Street Now 2024. As you build out your personal agenda, make sure to also make time to explore our amazing host city. Check out this roundup of some local favorites for you to explore between conference sessions, activities, and celebrations.
We are proud to announce that 1,188 programs have achieved designations as Main Street America programs in recognition of their commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street Approach™, and that local programs generated $5.68 billion in local reinvestment in 2023.
In just two weeks local leaders will convene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference from May 6-8. Online registration at the regular rate ends on Friday, April 26. Act now to secure your spot and keep reading to get the latest recommendations for an unforgettable experience.
Urban Impact Inc., harnesses strategic investments and collaborative efforts to foster a vibrant and sustainable future, from visionary adaptive reuse ventures to transformative development grants for small businesses and property owners in Birmingham, Alabama's historic 4th Avenue Black Business District.
Online registration and the regular rate are available through Friday, April 26. Download the conference mobile app, sign-up for the attendee webinar, grab some Shop Main Street merch, get recommendations, and more!
With just a little over a month to go until we convene in Birmingham, Alabama, for the 2024 Main Street Now Conference from May 6-8, we are excited to announce that the full schedule is available online and the mobile app is ready for download.
From budgets and staffing to programming priorities and the myriad of backgrounds that bring people to Main Street, the insights and key findings from this year's trends survey provide a snapshot of the state of the Main Street Movement.
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
With a specially priced registration rate of $199, tailored education track, free lunch & learn session, and abundant networking opportunities, Main Street Now 2024 is made for civic leaders passionate about community preservation and economic development in historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial corridors.
Opportunities to experience time-tested Main Street Approach techniques and creative solutions in action abound in Birmingham with these great excursions.
Starting in early 2024, we will engage in an intensive program assessment of MSAI. We look forward to bringing an enhanced Main Street professional development experience to the network later in the year.
Founded in 2003 and currently housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), Michigan Main Street (MMS) recently celebrated 20 years of impact across 41 communities.
This three-week live, online course will prepare local leaders to more effectively work with small business owners in their districts and create an environment that is supportive of entrepreneurship.
We are excited to share a recent collaboration with Spark! Places of Innovation, a traveling exhibition curated by the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street program.
We are excited to welcome Jenice Contreras to the Main Street America Board of Directors. Jenice has a long record of leadership across community and economic development with deep experience with equitable growth, small-scale development, and cultural preservation.
Join Main Street America experts in Vancouver, Wash., to gain first-hand experience in harnessing transformation strategies to successfully revitalize your Main Street!
We are excited to announce that 862 Main Street programs across the country have earned Accredited status, Main Street America’s top level of recognition.
The MSARP credential is the highest level of achievement offered through the Main Street America Institute, requiring dedication to completing a rigorous curriculum of online courses, readings, assignments, workshops, and a challenging final exam.
Over the course of three days, nearly 1900 Main Streeters from near and far gathered for dynamic educational sessions, immersive mobile workshops, and network-building activities.
Check out our new shop featuring clothing and apparel, accessories, home and office goods, and kids’ and baby items inspired by the Main Street Movement.
Main Street America is proud to recognize John Bry, Program Coordinator at Main Street Oakland County (MSOC) in Michigan, as the 2023 Mary Means Leadership Award recipient.
We’re excited to announce a new suite of resources designed for Main Street! The Main Street Foundations Series provides an overview of each Point through four comprehensive introductory videos, one-page guides, materials from our resource center, and more.
From the ongoing pivots needed to meet changing community needs to the timeless power of place, these are the most popular blog posts we published this year.
At the Opening Plenary at the Main Street Now Conference in Richmond, Virginia, Patrice Frey shared lessons and reflections from her past nine years at Main Street.
Leverage NC, a partnership between North Carolina Main Street and the North Carolina League of Municipalities, hosted a four-part webinar series titled Better Community Planning & Economic Development led by Ed McMahon, Chair Emeritus of Main Street America and a leading national authority on land use policy and economic development.
Matt Wagner, National Main Street Center's Vice President of Revitalization Programs, discusses competitive advantages, incrementalism and the power of the Main Street America network
Main Street Homer (Homer, Louisiana) was awarded a $25,000 A Community Thrives social impact grant from Gannett/USA Today Network to create an arts center with affordable artist studios and classroom/event space.
Nearly slated for demolition 30 years ago, downtown Cedar Falls has experienced an amazing transformation through its revitalization journey using the Main Street Approach.
The National Main Street Center, Inc., announced Downtown Oregon City, Rock Springs Main Street/Urban Renewal Agency, and Howell Main Street as the 2018 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) winners during its annual conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
We rolled out four new Main Street America videos highlighting the power of the Main Street movement, Main Street Approach, economic impact of Main Street, and the incredible volunteers that make Main Street's grassroots network so effective.
A series of small, incremental improvements, when taken together, provide momentum for long-term economic transformation and improved quality of life in a community.
The National Main Street Center, Inc. announced the 2017 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA) during its annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The National Main Street Center and the Brookings Institution have jointly authored a response to Mr. Hyman’s piece, The Reality of Main Street, that is featured on Brookings’ blog.
Michigan Main Street Center was the first Coordinating Program to implement the new Main Street approach on a large scale. In this article, they share their robust process and valuable lessons.
Fritz the dog has made his way into the hearts of the residents of LaBelle, Florida, and helped our Main Street Community find a way to make what we do more noticeable.
Back in October 2015, we introduced the three key components of the refreshed Main Street Approach: inputs, outputs and Community Transformation Strategies.
For a lucky few downtowns, greatness may happen effortlessly with a strong sense of place that seems to develop organically and simply sustain itself. For most places, success doesn’t happen by chance.
While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.
Although a “beach town,” Rehoboth Beach is open 365 days a year, and with that has the unique challenge of catering to both year-round residents and tourists within a wide range of ages, interests and economic levels
In communities across the country, hardworking business owners and buy local advocates come together to foster an organized effort to reinvent and revitalize Main Streets and downtown districts.
The National Main Street Center is pleased to announce that Cape Girardeau, Mo., Montclair Center, N.J., and Rawlins, Wyo. were selected as the 2015 Great American Main Street Award® (GAMSA) winners.