NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Deputy Gov. and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter announced today the four new communities accepted into the Tennessee Main Street Program.
Crossville and Newport were added in September 2025 with Springfield and Loudon joining in May 2026. These communities join 46 other Tennessee Main Street communities that are designated through the program and Main Street America, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
“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. and Commissioner McWhorter. “Thank you to the leaders of Crossville, Newport, Springfield and Loudon for partnering with our department to strengthen their downtowns and make Tennessee an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”
The Main Street Program provides training, support and grant opportunities to assist in downtown revitalization efforts. The program will focus on adaptive reuse of historic commercial buildings for community events and economic vitality.
“TNECD is excited to welcome these four communities to the Main Street America network,” Tennessee Main Street Program Director Kim Parks said. “They successfully completed the requirements and community application process, and with this designation as a Tennessee Main Street community, they’ll be able to take the next steps to grow businesses, preserve buildings and develop community pride in their downtown district.”
The Tennessee Main Street Program requires communities to illustrate a commitment from local government and other local organizations, have an adequate organizational budget, hire a dedicated program manager, have a strong historic preservation ethic and a collection of historic commercial buildings and a walkable district.
With the addition of Crossville, Newport, Springfield and Loudon, there will be a total of 50 Tennessee Main Street communities statewide, which includes 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.
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About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD)
TNECD is the state’s primary agency committed to fostering economic growth through job creation and community development. By attracting new corporate investment and facilitating the growth of existing businesses, the department works to strengthen Tennessee’s competitive landscape. Additionally, TNECD strives to increase the economic prosperity for all Tennesseans by providing grants to communities statewide, helping them to become vibrant, business-friendly environments where companies can flourish. For more information, visit us at tnecd.com. Join the conversation on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
TNECD
Chris O’Brien
Public Information Officer
(615) 934-5879
Chris.OBrien@tn.gov