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downtown hertford
we are
About Downtown Hertford
The Mission of Downtown Hertford is to facilitate the development of Hertford's Historic District as the cultural, economic, social, and historic center of Perquimans County, through the fostering of strategic civic, government, and business alliances.
We are a 501(c)3 non-profit with an all volunteer board of directors and one staff person. Downtown Hertford became a Main Street Program in 2000. Our focus is on promoting the Town of Hertford as a place to live, work, and visit. We focus on all things Downtown Hertford including business development within the realm of historic preservation, the planning and implementation of the mural on the Gunther Law building at the corner of Church and Grubb, the development and implementation of this website, providing facade grants and providing and tending to the beautiful planters and offering events that bring visitors to Town.
As a Main Street America Affiliate™, Town of Hertford Main Street Program is part of a national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities who share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Our Plan of Work:
The Downtown Hertford five year strategic plan was adopted by the Downtown Hertford Board of Directors in Jan. 2024. The plan includes initiatives for enhancing Hertford such as obtaining funding and coordinating the implementation of our new mural. We are working to Identify potential locations for restaurants and food markets downtown and assist our downtown businesses by offering facade grants. Some highlights from the strategic plan include:
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Economic Development Strategy: Downtown offers an elevated authentic small-town experience that is enhanced by waterfront recreational opportunities.
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Goal: Utilize the waterfront experience to attract visitors to come to downtown Hertford.
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Objective: To extend the downtown users' visit, on average, by 2-3 hours, and to extend the business hours by 1-2 hours each day.
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Economic Development Strategy: A creative and diverse artistic community that is inspired by the rich history of the Inner Banks riverfront community.
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Objective: Objective: To make downtown Hertford a more creative environment that will attract 100 more visitors a week to the downtown district.
Our Leadership:
Our Board of Directors:
Sandy Anderson, Janice Cole, Gina Durante, Shomari Bullard, Ashley Eure, John Lassiter, Rhonda Repanshek, Charles Purser, Harriette Woodard, Brenda Hollowell-White, Syd Eley and Susan Marino. With ex officio members: Doris Walton, Valerie Smirlock, Kathy Trieber, Tammy Miller-White, Jennifer Harriss and Ashley Hodges.
Our Partners:
Support Us!
Downtown Hertford thrives because of the generosity and commitment of our community. We depend on volunteers who dedicate their time, donors who believe in our mission, and sponsors who invest in our success. Whether you're passionate about revitalizing our downtown, supporting local businesses or strengthening the bonds that make Hertford special, there are meaningful ways to get involved. Every contribution helps us create a vibrant, welcoming downtown that benefits everyone in our community.
Main Street Program
We Are a Proud NC Main Street Affiliated Community
North Carolina Main Street Rural Planning Center
The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center is a Main Street America™ Coordinating Program. Main Street America™ is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. As one of the first Main Street America™ Coordinating Programs designated in 1980, NC Main Street inspires placemaking through building asset-based economic development strategies. The NC Main Street staff is charged by the NC Department of Commerce to facilitate downtown economic development using the Main Street America Four-Point Approach. The Main Street Approach™ focuses on economic development strategies to transform downtown.
These strategies articulate a focused path to revitalizing or strengthening a downtown economy. Designated NC Main Street community's work is organized around the Four-Point Approach: Economic Vitality, Design, Promotion, and Organization.
Learn more about the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center.
The National Main Street Program | Main Street America™
Main Street America™ has been helping revitalize older and historic commercial districts since 1980. Today it is a network of neighborhoods and communities, rural and urban, that share both commitment to place and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development. Main Street America is a program of the nonprofit National Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Main Street America™ is a movement. It is the leading voice for preservation-based economic development and community revitalization across the country. Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, Main Street America represents the broad diversity that makes this country so unique. Working together, the programs that make up the Main Street America network help to breathe new life into the places people call home.
Learn more about Main Street America.
As a Main Street America™ Affiliate, Downtown Hertford is part of a national network of neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.
Downtown Hertford is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Downtown Hertford is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.