Abstract:
The Main Street Program was initiated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to assist small towns in revitalizing their downtowns. In 1980, the National Main Street Center was established with grants from six federal agencies. That same year the program was expanded to include five towns in each of six states; North Carolina was selected as one of the six states. North Carolina towns chosen to be part of the national program were Tarboro, Washington, Salisbury, New Bern, and Shelby.