Backgrounder/Fact Sheet

The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership Main Street Initiative is the first comprehensive effort to create a tourism alliance bringing together representatives from the historic downtowns and tourism officials from the four-state historic Route 15 corridor. The Initiative links the fifteen Main Street communities, historic small towns and cities along the four-state Journey Through Hallowed Ground (JTHG) route including Gettysburg, Pa., Harpers Ferry, W.Va., Frederick and  Brunswick, Md., and Leesburg, Warrenton, Middleburg, Culpepper, Orange and Charlottesville, Va., to encourage economic development within the context of historic preservation and to encourage active participation in promoting the scenic, recreational, and cultural characteristics of this region.

The goal of the Main Street Initiative’s collaborative effort is to create and implement a first ever multi-state heritage tourism program within this historic region. The group intends to connect "must see" heritage attractions and hidden gems, including Presidential homes, National Historic Landmarks, and Civil War battlefields, with nearby B & B’s, wineries, music festivals, and a myriad of activities along the way in order to provide residents and tourists alike a seamless and memorable experience.

“Attracting tourism dollars is an important element to keeping these communities viable, and one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants, B&B's and farm stands open,” said Cate Magennis Wyatt, president, The JTHG Partnership.

“The Main Street Initiative will create tourism programs to provide economic development opportunities and increased tax revenue, and create a unique, comprehensive experience for those visiting the towns along the Journey,” said Cheryl Kilday, JTHG Partnership board member and president of the Loudoun County Convention and Visitors Association.

JTHG Main Street Backgrounder

The JTHG Main Street Initiative will include district workshops, coalition building, and grass roots level support for Main Street offices and convention and visitor bureaus. The Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership is organizing a training program that will target those on the front line of the hospitality field in order to provide a superior level of visitor service while highlighting sites and activities along The Journey. In addition, The National Trust is planning a series of workshops for community leaders to help them understand how to shape growth that preserves the quality of life, based on its Main Street Approach, a community-driven, comprehensive methodology used to revitalize older, traditional business districts throughout the United States (www.mainstreet.org).

January 2006