Berryville Main Street Wins Two Prestigious Awards for Its Fire House Gallery &Shop

The Town of Berryville and Berryville Main Street received two awards in May for the refurbishment and repurposing of the town's first fire house (and later town office) into a new retail destination in Berryville.

The first honor was a Certificate of Merit for the Rehabilitation and Preservation of the gallery from the Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission. The award was presented at the organization's 12rth annual awards luncheon on May 18th at the Battletown Inn.

In presenting the award to Wilson Kirby, Mayor of Berryville and Kate Petranech, President of Berryville Main Street, Commission member, Betsy Fields commented on the architecturally sensitive manner in which the building had been remodeled, using funds from a grant from the Town, a grant and loan from Clarke County, and many private donations from individual and businesses within the community. She commended the not-for-profit for not only creating a retail destination showcasing local artists, but also has offering programs that educate the public about the visual arts and history of the area.

"Outstanding Adaptive Reuse”

The second honor was a 2011 Better Models for Development Award from the Valley Conservation Council presented to Christy Dunkle, Berryville Town Planner and Assistant Manager at their awards dinner on May 25th. It was one of 12 projects selected for recognition as an example of how to grow in ways that respect local character, create livable communities, complement historic resources, and conserve natural assets.

"We seek to honor projects that show successful innovation right here in our backyard," said Sara Hollberg, author of VCC's book, Better Models for Development in the Shenandoah Valley 2010. "Each developer and each community has choices they can make that will help keep the Valley a unique, beautiful, and vibrant place even as we continue to grow and prosper. These projects and many like them demonstrate these better ways to develop."

In making the award the Council described the Fire House Gallery and Shop - dubbed one of the "25 Treasures of Main Street by the Virginia Main Street Program" -- as a "new beacon of cultural activity" made possible by a strong partnership among local governments, Berryville Main Street, citizens, and the arts community.
Award winners are from across the region, north to south, from Berryville, Boyce, Buena Vista, Luray, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Greenville, Lexington, Daleville, Eagle Rock, and Botetourt County.