Searcy, Arkansas – A sizable section of downtown Searcy has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to a press statement from Main Street Searcy.
“The designation helps showcase more Arkansas history on the national level,” said Ralph Wilcox, deputy state historic preservation officer for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
“It’s always exciting when we have National Register nominations under consideration,” Wilcox said, referring to the National Register as the nation’s official list of historic resources deserving of preservation. “It enables us to highlight Arkansas’s amazing history and the ways in which the State’s built environment reflects its past.”
According to Amy Burton, executive director of Main Street Searcy, the designation offers the community a number of advantages.
“First and foremost, our community’s historic downtown buildings and cultural heritage will be preserved thanks to our listing on the National Register,” Burton stated. The Main Street Searcy district will be marketed as a distinctive and historically noteworthy destination as a result of the designation. Lastly, it will use historic tax credits and grant funding to promote building rehabilitation initiatives and financial investment in the district.
Burton and Main Street Searcy started the process of getting the neighborhood designated, and soon after, the city and the Searcy Regional Economic Development Corporation joined forces.
