Main Street Murfreesboro, Celebrates 40th anniversary on ‘The Insider’

Last Updated 4/21/2025 • Posted in Stories, Preservation Month, News, Murfreesboro History, Rutherford County

Main Street’s Revitalization Movement Began in 1985 to Beautify and Preserve Downtown

– Main Street Murfreesboro, the nonprofit revitalization and preservation program, celebrates its 40 th year of keeping downtown vibrant and growing this month on “The Insider.” With the growth of new restaurants and businesses downtown, Main Street is looking better than ever!

Topics discussed on “The Insider” include:

 The history of Main Street Murfreesboro from 1985 to present, featuring courageous early leaders who supported efforts to beautify and preserve downtown through partnership and financing. These early leaders, including Anne Davis, Dawn Eaton, Blake Tidwell, Bruce Plummer, Jack Weatherford were the backbone of revitalization

 Ways downtown evolved and revitalized over the past four decades from renovation projects to community events and business marketing after the national Main Street revitalization movement began through the National Historic Register

 The historic downtown business district is made up of more than 500 locally owned small businesses who are the heart of the City and united with a 30-block radius membership association. The majority are mom and pop, local businesses

 Friday Night Live, Murfreesboro Saturday Market, and the Christmas Tree Lighting are just some of the events sponsored by Main Street Murfreesboro with help from businesses and volunteers

 How Main Street works to create a sense of place in the heart of downtown reflected in the beautiful Historic Courthouse and museum on the Square as an attractive place to lure diners, shoppers, concert goers, and arts and entertainment enthusiasts. Callender credits government and the community working together to keep downtown vibrant

 Property façade enhancement grants, initiated by Main Street, assist businesses in updating the exterior of their buildings. Main Street recently secured the State of Tennessee Downtown Improvement Grant to assist the Center for the Arts with its building. Opportunities to renovate second floors of businesses are also being assessed

 The mixed-use Keystone Project will provide downtown housing for the growing populous that is seeking to live, dine and be entertained in a walkable downtown

 Town Creek, once daylighted, will add vibrancy to Broad Street with a walkable green space connecting the Discovery Center with Cannonsburgh

 How special 40 th Anniversary awards recently celebrated many local businesses for keeping downtown vibrant, including 13 business who “Stood the Test of Time” and “Design Awards” for new businesses who converted basement spaces into new attractions. Visit www.mainstreetmurfreesboro.org to learn more

 The newly installed Big Belly trash containers with a piece of Murfreesboro photographic history displayed from photos provided by the Rutherford County Archives and Bill Shacklett Photography.

Watch video https://youtu.be/c2niftL6J2Y?si=UnPX- gYoQatFmpSa

As executive director, Callender collaborates with downtown business owners, the City of Murfreesboro, Rutherford County government, MTSU, and the arts community to promote Main Street and encourage support for the downtown economy and bring people together. Hired by the Main Street Board of Directors as executive director in 2019, Callender came to Main Street with experience working in the non-profit sector. The nonprofit Main Street Program is affiliated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center and follows the tenets of that program. Main Street capitalizes on the unique character of the Historic Rutherford County Courthouse Square and the surrounding business district with the goal of transforming it into the cultural, social, professional, and retail center of Rutherford County—the hub of community life. For more information on Mainstreet or to get involved, visit www.mainstreetmurfreesboro.org or email Sarah Callender at [email protected]. Award-winning producer Michael Nevills produces “The Insider” every month in the studios located in Murfreesboro City Hall. For City News online, visit www.Murfreesborotn.gov.