The square surrounding the White County Courthouse in downtown Searcy long has been among my favorite courthouse squares in Arkansas. At home, I have a framed print depicting downtown Searcy. It was given to me as a gift following a speaking engagement there years ago.
I walked around downtown one winter afternoon, killing time in advance of another speaking gig. In the window of every business were signs proclaiming "#My Searcy, Ready for a Revolution."
The signs were part of the city's effort to be featured in the fourth season of a Hulu reality show known as Small Business Revolution--Main Street. The program stars Amanda Brinkman, Ty Pennington and experts from a company known as Deluxe, which provides financial services and marketing support for small businesses.
Most people know Deluxe for its customized checks and forms, though it has since moved into areas such as website development and hosting, social media, email marketing and logo design.
Searcy was named as one of the 10 finalists. A team from Deluxe hit the road to visit the towns. The Small Business Revolution team showed up in Searcy on Jan. 17.
A total of $500,000 is spent each year on makeovers for selected small businesses. The first three years of the program highlighted towns in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Illinois.
"We had an incredible response from communities across the country wanting to be featured in season four," Brinkman said. "Almost 12,000 nominations came in this year, and fans of small businesses flooded our social media pages with posts about local businesses. The public has really embraced our mission of empowering communities to celebrate their unique gifts and to be proud of what they can accomplish together."
Following the site visits, the Deluxe team cut the list down to six and opened it up for a public vote in February. It came down to Searcy and Durant, Okla. On the evening of Feb. 26, a large crowd learned during a watch party on the campus of Harding University that Searcy had been selected.
"I've never seen this much excitement over one project in my life," Searcy Mayor Kyle Osborne, who took office Jan. 1., said that night.
Pennington and Brinkman returned to Searcy in March to announce the six small businesses that will share the $500,000. They are Savor + Sip, Zion Climbing Center, Nooma Life Studios, Whilma's Filipino Restaurant, El Mercado Cavadas and ARganic Woodwork. Though the businesses selected to participate in the makeovers are scattered across town, my hope is that the momentum and unity created by the city's efforts earlier this year will result in a coordinated initiative to restore Searcy's historic downtown.
Alton, Ill., was featured on the Hulu program last season. Alton Mayor Brant Walker told this newspaper: "Get ready for a whirlwind because it will come. Make sure you ride the momentum. Don't squander the opportunity because the national attention you're going to get doesn't come along very often."
The White County Courthouse, which was completed in 1871, provides a superb anchor. It's one of the most beautiful courthouses in the state.
According to the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program: "Between 1840 and 1850, White County's population rose by 181 percent, resulting in the need for a larger courthouse. Construction was completed on a two-story, wood-framed courthouse at a cost of $1,000 in 1850. Only nine years passed before White County planned to build again, with construction slated to start in April 1861. But the start of the Civil War delayed the plans for a new courthouse. Additionally, because the county sold the 1850 courthouse to a buyer who moved it offsite and reopened it as the Burrow Hotel, White County needed to find temporary housing for county business. The county moved its court to a Masonic lodge with a $450 annual rent until the county court appropriated $25,000 in 1869."
H.L. Baldwin of Memphis was selected to design the building in the Georgian style with Corinthian columns and a clock tower. White stone was used on the first floor, and maroon brick was used on the second floor. Gas lamps and a new tin roof were added in 1878. An iron fence was installed around the building a decade later. Architect Frank Gibb designed an expansion that was completed in 1912. Additional renovation work took place in 1933. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Downtown Searcy also has been helped by the presence of First Security Bank, which has grown into a statewide banking power. I parked at the corner of Arch and Spring streets and began my walk. There's the Quattlebaum Music sign, which figures prominently in that print back home. I pass the Rialto Theater, a restaurant known as Chit, Chat & Chew, a hair salon and buildings constructed in 1905 to house the Bank of Searcy and 1934 to house the American Legion's community hall. There are county offices, a jewelry store, a thrift shop and Stotts Drug Store, which has been around since 1927.
I spent time looking at a mural titled Natural Notes by Tara Peacock. It features native Arkansas musicians such as Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Al Green, Louis Jordan, Charlie Rich and Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
At a time when many towns east of Little Rock are struggling, Searcy has seen its population increase from 15,180 in the 1990 census to an estimated 24,000 residents today. An intense focus on downtown will help ensure that the growth continues.
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Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.
Editorial on 07/06/2019