Town of Courtland Becomes an Exploring Main Street Community
For Immediate Release:
April 15, 2026
Contact: Jane Riddick-Fries
Phone: (757) 803-6829
E-mail: janerfries@gmail.com
Courtland, VA – Recently, Virginia Main Street, a program of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), announced that the Town of Courtland has been accepted into this successful downtown revitalization program as an Exploring Main Street community.
Virginia Main Street uses the National Main Street model for downtown revitalization, which is a comprehensive, incremental approach to build economic vitality using a community’s unique heritage and attributes as the foundation. The program helps communities to develop their own strategies to encourage business development, building renovation, and pride in their downtown area.
As an Exploring Main Street community, Town of Courtland will have the opportunity to attend a variety of training courses throughout the year, access to downtown revitalization resources and materials, consultations regarding key issues, and can also benefit from being part of a larger network of downtowns dedicated to revitalization.
“We are excited to be part of this nationally renowned program,” said John Barksdale, board president of the Historic Courtland Association. “The support we receive from Virginia Main Street will have a meaningful impact on our downtown revitalization efforts.”
Jane Riddick-Fries, one of the founding board members of the Historic Courtland Association added, “I am excited about Courtland’s future and the opportunities for new business growth. As the county seat of Southampton County, our town already benefits from steady activity. With the opening of the new Southampton History Museum this fall, along with our existing museums on Linden Street, the Nat Turner Trail, and other historic and recreational assets—including the Nottoway River and the former railroad grade—we believe we can help bring Courtland back to its heyday. This revitalization effort represents one component of a broader strategy. It supports small business growth and economic development across our county.”
The Virginia Main Street program, administered by DHCD, began in 1985. Since that time, the program and its designated communities have encouraged more than $2.1 billion in private investment, attracted more than 8,918 new businesses, and created more than 29,666 new jobs.
“Exploring Main Street status is an important first step for a community interested in downtown revitalization,” said Courtney Mailey, Virginia Main Street program manager. “We are pleased to have the Town of Courtland join the program and applaud their commitment to further their revitalization efforts and create improved economic opportunity downtown.”
For more information about Virginia Main Street, contact (804) 385-0191 or go to: http://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/vms.
To learn more about the local downtown revitalization efforts contact Jane Riddick-Fries, janerfries@gmail.com, 757-803-6829 or Jason Fowler, j.fowler1@charter.net.