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Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

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.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

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.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

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!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
Three Main Street America Staff members standing in front of a mural in Marion, Iowa.

Marion, Iowa © Tasha Sams

About

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.

Overview Who We Are How We Work Partner Collaborations Our Supporters Our Team Job Opportunities Contact Us
Two community members in Emporia Kansas pose with a sign saying "I'm a Main Streeter"

Emporia, Kansas © Emporia Main Street

Our Network

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.

Overview Coordinating Programs Main Street Communities Collective Impact Awards & Recognition Community Evaluation Framework Join the Movement
Dionne Baux and MSA partner working in Bronzeville, Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois © Main Street America

Resources

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!

Overview Knowledge Hub Field Services Government Relations Main Street Now Conference Main Street America Institute Small Business Support Allied Member Services The Point Members Area
People riding e-scooters in Waterloo, Iowa

Waterloo, Iowa © Main Street Waterloo

The Latest

Your one-stop-shop for all the latest stories, news, events, and opportunities – including grants and funding programs – across Main Street.

Overview News & Stories Events & Opportunities Subscribe
Woman and girl at a festival booth in Kendall Whittier, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Kendall Whittier — Tulsa, Oklahoma © Kendall Whittier Main Street

Get Involved

Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.

Overview Join Us Renew Your Membership Donate Partner With Us Job Opportunities
Aerial view of the Monroeville Courthouse Square.

Monroeville, Alabama © Pierce Drones

Monroeville Main Street in Monroeville, Alabama, is one of three winners of the Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), which recognizes communities for their excellence in comprehensive preservation-based commercial district revitalization. Sponsored by The Hartford and selected by a national jury of community preservation professionals and leaders in the fields of economic development, Monroeville Main Street is being recognized for facilitating an incredible renaissance rooted in economic vitality, thoughtful design, and the literary arts.


Main Street America Program: Monroeville Main Street
Coordinating Program: Main Street Alabama
Year Organization Founded: 2014
Population: 5,900
Public and Private Reinvestment: $10.9 million
Net New Businesses: 42
Buildings/​Structures Rehabilitated: 42

Visit Monroeville Main Street
Mural featuring books and objects symbolizing writers.

Literary Giants mural by Johnna Bush of Grove Hill, Alabama, celebrates Monroeville’s literary heritage. © Monroeville Main Street

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I am so incredibly inspired by Monroeville Main Street’s extraordinary success, especially in a relatively short amount of time,” said Erin Barnes, President and CEO at Main Street America. They are truly writing the next chapter for Monroeville through a passionate dedication to collective action and preservation with a purpose.”

In rural southwest Alabama, where the Black Belt Heritage Area meets the coastal plain, Monroeville is a small town making monumental strides in enhancing the quality of life of its residents and creating an inviting international tourist destination. Just nine years ago, downtown Monroeville faced significant challenges. The historic district suffered from a high vacancy rate of 31 percent, with many of its buildings sitting empty and unused. The lack of businesses and vibrancy were the result of a culmination of decades of economic decline resulting from the exodus of a once bustling textile manufacturing industry.

  • Three people gaze at a mural.

    Home Is Where My Friend Is by Johnna Bush of Grove Hill, Alabama, is one of 17 murals in the downtown district. © Monroeville Main Street

  • A girl interacts with a bronze sculpture shaped like a branch with a bird perched on it.

    The Literary Capital Sculpture Trail consists of 14 bronze sculptures honoring the 10 writers credited with making Monroeville/​Monroe County the Literary Capital of Alabama. © Monroeville Main Street

In 2014, Monroeville Main Street was established to revive the downtown district. Through catalytic projects, strategic initiatives, and passionate people, downtown Monroeville has experienced a profound aesthetic and economic turnaround. Initial efforts included small, but highly visible, design and promotion projects such as branded pedestrian banners, sidewalk pressure cleaning, and the installation of self-watering planters. Monroeville Main Street leveraged the community’s revived pride of place to celebrate the town’s literary heritage through public art projects including the installation of 17 murals, 14 bronze sculptures, and a 24-panel story trail. 

We are incredibly humbled and honored to be recognized as a 2024 GAMSA winner,” said Anne Marie Deas Bryan, Executive Director at Monroeville Main Street. This achievement is a testament to the unwavering commitment and hard work of our board members, volunteers, property owners, entrepreneurs, and community partners, as well as the power of the Main Street Approach. We are grateful for everyone’s passion and dedication, which have collectively contributed to the revitalization of downtown Monroeville.”

  • Exterior of a deteriorated two-story building with broken windows and a crumbling facade.

    JWJ Investment Properties, a local real estate development company, led efforts to reimagine the abandoned 1940s‑era county maintenance shop. © Monroeville Main Street

  • Renovated exterior of a neo-classical two-story building.

    Today, the renovated Shop & Loft at 66 sports a renewed exterior and interior living spaces. © Monroeville Main Street

The organization quickly coupled its commitment to preserving and building upon its heritage with bold economic development initiatives that activated the downtown’s vacant spaces. With the help of Main Street Alabama — the state’s coordinating program — Monroeville Main Street mobilized to maximize the full potential of the district’s large buildings by encouraging property owners to sub-divide ground floor spaces and to add upper story residences. They also worked with local developers and other partners to facilitate the renovation and adaptive reuse of 42 properties, resulting in the creation of 15 loft apartments, 12 new commercial spaces, and 23 smaller and more affordable storefronts. From façade improvements to complete restorations, these projects — valued at $6 million — have breathed new life into the downtown’s historic buildings, filled a much needed gap for downtown rentals, and created opportunities for entrepreneurs. 

Historic courthouse building surrounded by trees.

The Monroe County Museum, a National Landmark, attracts tourists from around the world. © Shawn Terpack

Monroeville Main Street has leveraged these renewed and affordably priced commercial spaces to bring businesses downtown. To date, 42 new businesses have opened, creating over 72 new jobs — a significant number for the town of 5,900 residents — and the vacancy rate has dropped to 5 percent. Additionally, the organization actively invests in the development of the next generation of Monroeville entrepreneurs through their Business Understanding & Ownership for Youth (B.U.O.Y) program, a free 8‑month training program for area teenagers and young adults. 

We have thoroughly enjoyed working with Monroeville Main Street the past several years — they are always prepared, always excited, and always willing to reach for new goals,” said Mary Helmer Wirth, President/​State Coordinator at Main Street Alabama. From the day they were announced as a newly designated Main Street program to being recognized as one of the best Main Street programs in the country, they have not slowed down one bit! We are incredibly proud of them.”

  • A woman paints downtown buildings.

    Residents and visitors come to Monroeville to participate in the annual Paint the Town Paint Out event. © Monroeville Main Street

  • Inside a large room filled with artworks on display, a volunteer hands tickets to a woman.

    Patrons purchase tickets for the live art auction at the Farm to Table Dinner, a fundraiser event for Monroeville Main Street. © Monroeville Main Street

  • People painting a mural onto the exterior of a building.

    Monroeville Main Street engages with local artists and volunteers to install murals throughout the district. © Monroeville Main Street

Monroeville Main Street’s success is also credited to their dedication to preserving and honoring their rich arts heritage. Known as the Literary Capital of Alabama for serving as the birthplace or home of writers like Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Marva Collins, and Cynthia Tucker, Monroeville Main Street’s public art programs and community events celebrate the town’s legacy while building upon it. Events such as the Monroeville Literary Festival and Paint the Town Paint Out attract visitors from around the state. In 2021, Monroeville Main Street and the Monroeville/​Monroe County Chamber of Commerce created the smART Moves in Monroe County mural trail, a unique public art initiative that showcases the talents of local artists and beautifies the historic downtown. Through their Abandoned Art Project, local artists create and place free artworks in unexpected places for the community to enjoy, adding to Monroeville’s charm. 

  • A sign promotes the availability of a vacant commercial space.

    Posters promoting availability of vacant retail spaces are a component of Monroeville Main Street’s economic development strategy. © Monroeville Main Street

  • A young boy lays on a sidewalk with his arms raised above his head to hold up a chalk drawing of a dumbbell.

    Chalk art activities are a beloved feature of Second Saturday events that contribute to the town’s arts heritage. © Monroeville Main Street

As a recipient of the 2019 Partners in Preservation grant, Monroeville Main Street secured a $125,000 grant to bolster existing preservation efforts of the historic Monroe County Museum. In 2021, these efforts resulted in the museum achieving National Landmark status. This designation reinforces Monroeville Main Street’s commitment to historic preservation and dedication to working with partners to maintain the architectural integrity of downtown Monroeville for generations to come.