Downtown Crossville is set for a major boost after officially being designated as one of the state’s newest accredited Main Street communities, joining a statewide initiative designed to spur economic vitality and historic preservation.

Tennessee Deputy Governor and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter recently highlighted the expansion of the Tennessee Main Street Program, bringing the total number of designated communities across the state to 50.

Crossville, alongside Newport, officially joined the program in September 2025. They were followed shortly by Springfield and Loudon, which joined in May 2026.

“The Tennessee Main Street program showcases what makes our state great: preserving the unique character of our rural communities while creating opportunities for Tennesseans to thrive,” said Deputy Gov. McWhorter. “Thank you to the leaders of Crossville, Newport, Springfield and Loudon for partnering with our department to strengthen their downtowns.”

As an official Tennessee Main Street community—accredited through Main Street America, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation—Crossville gains access to specialized training, technical support, and state grant opportunities.

The program’s focus in Crossville and its peer cities will center on:

• Adaptive Reuse: Transforming historic commercial buildings for modern economic use.

• Community Events: Utilizing downtown spaces to foster local gathering and community pride.

• Business Growth: Supporting local entrepreneurs while maintaining a walkable, vibrant district.

To earn the designation, Crossville demonstrated strong local government support, secured an adequate organizational budget, committed to hiring a dedicated program manager, and showcased a solid historic preservation ethic.

“They successfully completed the requirements and community application process, and with this designation… they’ll be able to take the next steps to grow businesses, preserve buildings and develop community pride,” said Tennessee Main Street Program Director Kim Parks.

Crossville, Newport, Springfield, and Loudon now share this elite designation with 46 other Tennessee Main Street communities statewide:

Athens, Bolivar, Bristol, Brownsville, Centerville, Cleveland, Clifton, Clinton, Collierville, Columbia, Cookeville, Covington, Dayton, Dyersburg, Elizabethton, Etowah, Fayetteville, Franklin, Gallatin, Greeneville, Halls, Jackson, Johnson City, Jonesborough, Kingsport, Lawrenceburg, Lebanon, Lewisburg, Livingston, Madisonville, Maryville, McKenzie, McMinnville, Morristown, Mount Pleasant, Murfreesboro, Paris, Pulaski, Ripley, Rogersville, Savannah, Sevierville, Sweetwater, Tiptonville, Union City, and Winchester.