At the Washington State Main Street Program’s annual Excellence on Main awards ceremony, Colville Together was honored with the Places for People Award for its Heritage Court reinvigoration project.
Operated by the nonprofit Washington Trust for Historic Preservation in conjunction with the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the Washington State Main Street Program helps communities across the state revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown districts. Today, the Washington State Main Street Program encompasses a network of more than 70 towns and cities across Washington, including Colville.
Every year, as a cornerstone event of the annual PLACES Conference, the Washington State Main Street Program hosts the Excellence on Main awards ceremony, honoring projects and individuals whose hard work and innovative efforts are making a difference in their communities and beyond. This year’s 2024 Excellence on Main award winners were announced on Thursday, October 17 at the Gesa Power House Theatre, during the PLACES Conference held October 16-18 in Walla Walla.
The Places for People Award is an award that recognizes projects that create inclusive spaces and invite community engagement year-round. Colville Together has been named the 2024 Places for People Award recipient for its recent efforts to reinvigorate Heritage Court as a community hub.
Located in the heart of downtown Colville, Heritage Court had seen various improvements over the years but remained underutilized. Colville Together joined forces with the City of Colville, Tri County Economic Development District, and the Colville Chamber of Commerce to change that. They programmed the space with local artists, music, and businesses on Fourth Fridays during the summer months. In addition to inviting the community to spend time downtown, these events centered local food and art entrepreneurs, as well as brick-and-mortar businesses nearby.
Artist Chris Bovey was commissioned to create a Colville postcard mural on the main wall of the gathering space, creatively depicting aspects of Colville’s culture and heritage in each letter. To make Heritage Court inviting year-round, shade umbrellas were installed to combat heat and propane heaters to extend comfort into the cooler months. Free wi-fi made the space digital-friendly, appealing to all generations. Elementary students created ornaments to adorn Heritage Court’s new holiday tree. Throughout the transformation of the space, resources—funding, partners, and volunteers—were sought, including a successful $50,000 T-Mobile Hometown Grant which made many of the physical improvements possible.
“With their continuous, incremental touch on Heritage Court, Colville didn’t just activate an underutilized space—they brought their community together by creating a vibrant, inclusive community hub,” noted Washington State Main Street Program Director Breanne Durham at the Excellence on Main ceremony. Durham personally presented the Places for People Award to Colville Together Executive Director Rosemary Shaw and board member Shelly Stevens, who were in attendance at the awards ceremony.
The Washington State Main Street Program applauds this year’s award winners and the impacts they have made in their communities. For more photos of the award winners and of the PLACES Conference overall, visit preservewa.org/places2024-album.
About the Washington State Main Street Program:
Since 1984, the Washington State Main Street Program has been helping communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts using the successful Main Street Approach®. For more information, visit the Washington Trust’s website at preservewa.org/mainstreet.
