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Denison, TX Main Street

The national Main Street revitalization effort was established in 1980 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to address the challenges facing historic downtown commercial districts. Fast forward 40 years and Main Street America™, a subsidiary of the National Trust, leads a nationwide network of state coordinating programs that support local Main Street programs as they implement the Main Street Approach™ to established revitalization initiatives that transform downtown historic commercial cores.

More than 40 years ago, Texas created a state program operating through the Texas Historical Commission—the Texas Main Street Program (TMSP)—one of the oldest and largest coordinating programs in the nation. The TMSP was brought to Texas by Anice Read, former member of the Texas Historical Commission and first director of the state Main Street effort.

The mission of the TMSP is to provide technical expertise, resources, and support to Main Street communities in Texas in accordance with the Main Street America's Four Point Approach® of organization, economic vitality, design, and promotion. Using a team-centered approach, the TMSP strives to understand the challenges facing Texas’ 86 designated programs to help each reach their revitalization and preservation goals.

The TMSP is part of the Community Heritage Development Division of the Texas Historical Commission and operates in affiliation with Main Street America. Following a pilot project of the national center that studied the decline of America's downtowns, the TMSP accepted its first communities in 1981 and became one of the first six statewide coordinating programs in the nation.

Main Street is a powerful tool for reviving local economies and bringing communities together to forge their future. Watch the video below to learn more. 

Texas Main Street Contact

Contact Us

If you have questions about the Texas Main Street Program, please contact the program administrator using the information listed here.