What's Great About Greenwood: Historic Preservation

With a look at the world-renown Alluvian Hotel from Howard and Church, I continue my quest to remind us all what is great about Greenwood.

Look along Howard Street and all over downtown Greenwood and you will get a glimpse of what life was like in Greenwood decades ago. Yes, many of the buildings have been modernized somewhat, but the vast majority of the building facades appear as pristine and historically accurate as they did the day they were built.

Viking Range has played a major role in the redevelopment of downtown, pumping millions of dollars of private funds into the downtown historic district. Their preservation efforts began with the assemblage and conversion of the former cotton offices along Front Street and historic Cotton Row (including the former home of T.R. Gregory Cotton Co.) into their corporate headquarters.

In addition, the Viking Hospitality Group has made their biggest mark along Howard Street. Look at the Alluvian Hotel, the Viking Cooking School and Alluvian Spa, Mississippi Gifts and Turnrow Books, and you will see the historical remnants of the former Hotel Irving, J.C. Penney, and the Fountain Department Store, among others.

In the same vein, Main Street Greenwood, Inc., under the direction of Lise Foy, has expanded in scope and effectiveness over the past few years. Since 1995, their facade grant program has been used to restore 52 facades in the downtown area. Currently, their Johnson Street facade grant program is working to restore storefronts along Johnson Street and Carrollton Avenue.

However, Main Street's efforts have not been limited to the provision of funding for facade improvements. They have been involved in the active rehabilitation of historic buildings and in the promotion of downtown's historic loft apartments. For example, their headquarters are now located in the newly renovated Greyhound Bus Station, now dubbed Main Street Station, appropriately located on Main Street.

Main Street's marketing efforts have also made a huge impact on downtown Greenwood. Their Upstairs Downtown fundraiser showcased Greenwood's premier apartments and lofts, while raising money for downtown Greenwood's streetscape improvement program. In addition, their promotion of the Greenwood Farmer's Market has provided yet another incentive for people to visit Greenwood's historic downtown.

Other private entities have contributed to the revitalization of Greenwood's downtown. The Three Deuces building houses the Blue Parrot Cafe and the Greenwood Blues and Heritage Museum. Also, Staplcotn recently won an award for the detailed restoration of their corporate headquarters on Market Street. Private efforts (aside from Viking's) have played an important role in the preservation of downtown over the years.

I could lecture on the merits of historic preservation for hours (I am specializing in preservation up here at UNC), but I will spare you the bulk of it. The only two points that I will make is that the preservation of existing buildings is the most sustainable form of development, period. Secondly, people are drawn to old building and historic spaces, which is part of the reason Greenwood has experienced a surge in tourism in recent years.

Greenwood is lucky to have a team of public, private, and nonprofit organizations working together to restore our past. The City of Greenwood has been largely pro-preservation in recent years, providing tax incentives to major players, and annually budgeting funds for the highly-important Main Street program. With effective leadership and a respect for our past, historic preservation is another thing that is great about Greenwood.