The Town of Hayesville is a North Carolina Small Town Main Street Community, designated by the NC Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Historic Hayesville Inc. is a 501C3 nonprofit corporation and administrator of the Hayesville Small Town Main Street program at the local level, building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation. Hayesville is one of the smallest towns affiliated with the national Main Street America program.
HHI is located in the Hayesville Centennial Exhibit downtown next to the Post Office at 116 Sanderson Street. Friends of Historic Hayesville (FOHH) volunteers maintain the Centennial Exhibit and Small Town Headquarters.
HHI has a Board of Directors comprised of six members working with the Mayor of Hayesville to facilitate the continued participation in the Small Town Main Street Program. Community involvement is encouraged through partner organizations and individuals with similar goals for downtown improvements. Meetings are scheduled on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 5 pm in the Library unless otherwise publicized. HHI hosts and supports annual events and fundraisers to promote small local area businesses. Contact us for more information.
The Centennial Exhibit is open for visitors from April through December on Fridays and Saturdays 11 - 4 or by appointment. It is home to a variety of rooms exhibiting past rural life, history of the town, beautiful quilts, information about the town and surrounding area and the Clay County Barn Quilt Trail studio which is located at the at the rear of the building. It is a dedicated separate studio space where HHI volunteers spearhead efforts in Clay County to be an active participant and driving force in the North American Quilt Trail Project. The Barn Quilt Studio is operational during the spring, summer and early fall and orders for these custom handmade masterpieces are taken at any time.
- Historic Hayesville Inc. is the administrator of Hayesville Small Town Main Street
- Historic Hayesville Inc. is featured in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Craft Trails
- HHI's Steins & Wine Around The Square Event recognized by the Upper Hiwassee Highlands American Viticultural Area
- Historic Hayesville Inc. is a Neighborhood Champion in the American Express Small Business Saturday® program.
Hayesville is a NC Small Town Main Street community
About the Main Street Program
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 Small Town 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.
Hayesville was designated as a NC Small Town Main Street community in 2013 to participate in an orientation and guidance program for two years under the National Main Street Center's Four Point Approach™ which includes organization, promotion, design and economic vitality to implement downtown projects. Volunteers representing at least ten community organizations participated to become eligible for grants related to the downtown area. Designation in the program is renewed annually and Hayesville was approved in 2016 as a Main Street America Affiliate with ties to the National Trust for Historical Preservation. Historic Hayesville Inc. was formed in 2016 as the required 501c3 nonprofit and administrator of Hayesville's Small Town Main Street program with additional opportunities to apply for grants. One of those opportunities included application to the Main Street Solutions Fund which was approved for $200,000 to assist with bringing a new restaurant to downtown Hayesville.
Volunteers are now in their thirteenth year and hope to secure more funds under Small Town Main Street/HHI to benefit downtown projects working under the Four Point Approach™.
• ORGANIZATION strategy is to build human and financial resources through local government, businesses, community groups and individual partnerships to achieve significant downtown improvements.
• PROMOTION committee members are working to create and sell a positive image of downtown based on unique assets such as the historic square with surrounding retail shops combined with cultural attractions including art, music, recreational trails and events that exemplify a center of activities.
• DESIGN plans include improving physical aspects of downtown with new facades, pedestrian connectivity and positive impacts for public spaces.
• ECONOMIC VITALITY group works with the other 3 action committees to expand and diversify the downtown base to bring new life to downtown Hayesville.
Historic Hayesville Inc. has the:-
VISION: Beautiful Downtown Hayesville, with its historic courthouse square, is the hub for history, culture, economic activity, recreation, arts and education, serving as a beacon to attract tourists while engaging residents and providing a safe haven for all.
MISSION: Historic Hayesville, Inc., in administering the Small Town Main Street program, has a mission to preserve, protect and promote the town square, fostering economic activity, facilitating opportunities for existing and future residents.
Historic Hayesville Inc. played a major supporting role in the project that was recognized in March 2020 at the North Carolina Main Street Conference in New Bern, NC. Hayesville was the only selected STMS nominee and winner in the economic revitalization category. Historic Hayesville Inc. had organized several fund raisers with proceeds going towards the restoration of the old courthouse.
Watch the video.
Historic Hayesville Inc.'s Centennial Exhibit and Barn Quilt Studio are both featured on the Craft Trails
Blue Ridge National Heritage Area - Craft Trails
“ The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is a nonprofit organization that preserves, cultivates, and promotes the natural and cultural heritage of 25 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary to benefit current and future generations. The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area is the regional steward of living Appalachian traditions in North Carolina.”
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area recently launched its Blue Ridge Craft Trails. Downtown Hayesville is well represented. Historic Hayesville Inc.'s Centennial Exhibit and Barn Quilt Studio are featured together with the Old Jail Museum, the Cherokee Homestead, the Cherokee Cultural Center in the Moss Memorial Library and the Clay County Historic Courthouse/Beal Center which are are all included on the Blue Ridge Craft Trail in downtown.
Beyond downtown Goldhagen Art Glass, Joe Waldroup Wood Turning and Sculpture and Jackrabbit Mountain Bike and Hiking Trail are also featured on the Craft Trail.
Hayesville, although a very small town, is rich in history, craftsmen and culture.
Historic Hayesville Inc.'s Steins & Wine Around The Square event was the first of its kind in the area and has been recognized as part of the "wine trail" for the Upper Hiwassee Highlands AVA, (American Viticultural Area) which is growing as more “boutique” wineries get established. Also, small craft breweries are fast becoming a part of the WNC Brewers Alliance
HHI's annual Steins And Wine event helps new wineries and craft breweries flourish and thereby promotes the economic growth of the area.
Since 2017 Historic Hayesville Inc. has been a participant in the nationwide (now global) American Express Shop Small program known as Small Business Saturday® which is celebrated on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. AMEX has recognized HHI as a Neighborhood Champion in this program for our small businesses for several years.
At first HHI organized a special Saturday Shopping Day to help drive consumer spending to our local small businesses. Arranging shopper discounts, free advertising for participant stores, and HHI prize baskets for shoppers as well as an evening concert, our small stores reported record sales.
The Shop Small® movement has grown and HHI now promotes a Shop Small Weekend that includes shopping specials, entertainment and more, all designed to encourage shoppers to shop small business and enjoy our downtown eateries.
Location
Historic Hayesville Inc.
116 Sanderson Street
Hayesville, NC 28904
Mailing Address
Historic Hayesville Inc.
P.O. Box 11
Hayesville, NC 28904
Historic Hayesville Inc. is a NC 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organization and administrator of Hayesville's Small Town Main Street program managed by volunteers.
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