The National Trust Main Street Center®
More about the Center:
Our Mission:
The National Trust Main Street Center's mission is to empower people, organizations, and communities to achieve ongoing downtown and neighborhood district revitalization based upon the principles of self-determination, resource conservation, and incremental transformation represented through the comprehensive Main Street Four-Point Approach®.
Download our brochure (pdf)
At the National Trust Main Street Center®, we lead a coast-to-coast network of more than 1,200 state, regional, and local programs, powerfully linked together through a preservation-based strategy for rebuilding the places and enterprises that make sustainable, vibrant, and unique communities. Tapping the collective wisdom of partners around the nation, we provide leading-edge thinking and analysis to community leaders, while advocating for change on state and national policy levels.
Building a Movement
Through ongoing research on emerging topics and in-depth field engagement across the nation, the Center continuously synthesizes and disseminates best practices and new thinking that meet emerging needs in our communities. We are inspired by the grassroots successes of our network partners and strive to support and share their innovative solutions with comprehensive:
- Professional Training—to educate local leaders and practitioners at our annual National Main Streets Conference.
- Network Access—to best practices and new research in the field, published in our bi-monthly, 32-page journal Main Street Now, as part of our National Main Street Network® membership services.
- Technical Assistance—to launch new programs, engage volunteers, build leadership, conduct market analysis, and support local entrepreneurship through our field staff and partners.
- National Resources—to support local efforts by forging new partnerships and providing timely information.
Our Commitment to Community
At the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Main Street® is an integral component of the Community Revitalization Department, which empowers individuals to use historic preservation-based development strategies to revitalize neighborhoods and commercial districts while protecting their unique sense of place.
Where we work
Since 1980, more than 2,000 affiliated Main Street programs have been launched in 43 states through a unique partnership structure with Main Street "Coordinating Programs." Mostly at the state level—but increasingly at regional and citywide levels as well—these coordinating partners provide the direct, ongoing support that has set the standard for quality and progress nationwide. We are committed to building "50 Strong" networks of programs operating in every state in the nation.
We measure our results through the progress of our network. The cumulative success of the Main Street Approach and local Main Street programs has been documented since our founding and demonstrates how revitalized districts can truly be an economic engine— creating jobs, expanding wealth, and building the tax base for each participating community. The National Trust Main Street Center annually collects and reports these statistics as just one measure of effectiveness.
While these reinvestment statistics are important, numbers tell just part of the story—civic pride, leadership development, and community sustainability also increase when local stakeholders join with national partners to leverage their assets and build a future together.
