Heritage Ohio has recognized Main Street Wadsworth as a 2024 Nationally Certified Mainstreet Community.
Wadsworth has been a part of the Main Street Program since 2016.
The program is an organization that focuses on the Main Street America Four-Point Approach of Design, Economic Vitality, Promotion, and Organization.
Their goal is to revitalize historic downtown communities.
“As an accredited program, this recognition represents that our nonprofit has a proven track record of planning, implementing, and measuring results that align with the Main Street Approach,” said Megan Harvey, Executive Director of Main Street Wadsworth.
The organization is assessed annually by Heritage Ohio.
“Each year, Main Street Wadsworth goes through an accreditation process,” Harvey said. “This includes meeting a set of baseline requirements and demonstrating success in each of the Main Street America Accreditation Standards.”
These standards include broad-based community commitment to revitalization, inclusive leadership and organizational capacity, diversified funding and sustainable program operations, strategy-driven programming, preservation-based economic development, and demonstrated impact and results.
“Since becoming an accredited program, this has allowed downtown Wadsworth to be recognized at the state and national levels for the incredible work we do for our community,” Harvey said.
Main Street Wadsworth has received their yearly accreditation for the past nine years.
“This accreditation means a great deal for the Wadsworth community,” said Emily Davis, a member of the Board of Directors at Main Street Wadsworth. “Being an accredited Main Street shows that our community values preserving and celebrating Wadsworth’s local history and character. It provides us with tools and resources to assist with revitalizing our downtown by preserving Wadsworth’s history and promoting economic development for the community and the downtown businesses.”
Harvey believes that the accreditation demonstrates how dedicated the community is to preserving its history, as well as the quality of downtown Wadsworth.
“We look forward to working toward another accreditation and celebrating 10 years as a Main Street in 2026!” Harvey said.
