WYTHEVILLE, Va. – Wytheville’s Main Street was among the top 8 Main Street Communities nationally. This was spearheaded by Downtown Wytheville Inc. who have helped reinvigorate the area since it was founded in 2014.
“People that nominate you for this award basically travel the United States and they see small communities throughout the nation all the time,” said Todd Wolford, executive director of Downtown Wytheville. “So to be awarded among the top eight is just a huge, huge honor.”
Wytheville resident Angie Jackson echoed that excitement.
“It was so exciting,” Jackson said. “But living in several different places, north and south, it really is one of the better areas to have something like that.”
For Wolford, revitalizing Main Street is more than just a job — it’s personal.
“My grandfather had a business on Main Street in the late ’50s,” he said. “So when I took this position, it became very personal to me. I’m very passionate about the work that we do here. That keeps me striving, because Main Street in the ’50s in downtown Wytheville was the place to be. And I feel like it has kind of come full circle to that again.”
Jackson praised the upkeep and atmosphere of the area.
“Main Street itself is maintained so well,” she said. “They do such a wonderful job putting the flowers out and going through and taking care of the flowers throughout the year. And then when they shut the street down to do the events, it’s great. Draws a lot of business, we stay packed. It’s just a good vibe.”
Unlike many small-town main streets, Wytheville’s doesn’t have many empty storefronts or national chains. Instead, it features long-standing, locally owned businesses — some of which have been downtown for over a century.
“We run a façade improvement program, so it’s very critical that we keep the historic fabric of these buildings,” Wolford said. “That’s what makes downtowns unique — the historic aspect.”
The winner of the Best Main Street Community in the U.S. will be announced in April. But no matter the outcome, it’s clear downtown Wytheville is flourishing.