To whom it may concern:

On September 9th, Main Street Portsmouth hosted a “Show me the Money” training in partnership with Heritage Ohio. Over 150 individuals from all over the state attended the training held in the historic Masonic Temple Building. A diverse group of speakers represented the Department of Development, Ohio Historic Preservation Office, Department of Transportation and the Scioto Foundation. The speakers offered information on financial support for revitalization efforts in historic districts.

As the Director of Main Street Portsmouth, I travel regularly to other Main Street communities across the state of Ohio and I am proud to say that Portsmouth did a wonderful job welcoming our guests. I have received dozens of emails praising the business and property owners for their dedication to revitalization and our volunteers for their hard work toward the beautification and preservation efforts of the district.

One widely recognized characteristic of our downtown and historic district that I think so many of us take for granted is our remarkable historic architecture. Most Main Street districts have eight blocks of properties that don’t even come close to the beauty and detail that line our streets. Our Main Street district, which includes the area from Gay Street west to the Scioto River and Tenth Street south to the Ohio River, is over 38 blocks. Much of this area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and, with the leadership of Mr. Ernie Bouyack, now has historic markers identifying some of our gems.

I would personally like to thank all of the volunteers for their countless hours dedicated to welcoming the attendees to the session. I am proud to be a part of Main Street Portsmouth.

Sincerely,

Zoë Richards, Director

Main Street Portsmouth