About Havre de Grace Main Street, Inc.

In Maryland alone, the initiatives of our 18 Main Street organizations have resulted in more than 833 new businesses and 3,350 new jobs, all in small communities such as ours. But a revitalized downtown benefits everyone, from merchants and business professionals to residents and property owners, city and county officials, museums and schools, business associations, and community groups. This is underscored by looking at the monies invested in public and private improvement projects in these communities: $96 million in 534 public projects; $119 million in 1,216 private projects. Knowing this success, a group of concerned Havre de Grace citizens applied for a Main Street program in 2004. Their efforts were rewarded in May 2005 with a Main Street Maryland designation.

Click Here to view a map showing our Main Street District boundaries

Our Main Street program is a membership and volunteer-based organization, guided by a Board of Directors of up to 19 members. Our primary focus is on revitalization, business development, arts and entertainment, and business retention in the historical downtown district. Click for membership information or to join.Main Street Maryland was created by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development as the coordinating program for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Main Street Center. Main Street Maryland oversees the National Center's Four-Point Approach to downtown revitalization, which emphasizes the importance of working simultaneously in the areas of Organization, Promotion, Economic Restructuring, and Design. Visit the Main Street Maryland Web site.

In December 2007, our Board of Directors decided that becoming designated as an Arts & Entertainment District by the State of Maryland would support Main Street’s efforts to revitalize the business district while encouraging arts and artists to live and work in our city. And the goals and objectives of Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment District program complement those of our Main Street program. As a consequence, Havre de Grace Main Street added a fifth committee—the Arts & Entertainment Committee.

Thanks to the hard work of that Arts & Entertainment Committee, Main Street completed its application to the State of Maryland and Havre de Grace became designated as an Arts & Entertainment District, effective July 1, 2008. The geographical boundaries of that district match those of the Main Street District.