The Word on the Street
Notes from Main Street Siloam Springs, Inc.
By Meredith Bergstrom, Executive Director
I’d like to dwell on for a moment on a subject I admittedly know little about – architecture.
Upon moving to Siloam Springs, I had no framework for distinguishing the reasons why I loved about our downtown – I just felt the sense of place that various architects and investors had created in the visual aesthetics of the buildings. Now I realize that this visual interest created by our procession of storefronts is not an accident – each building has a unique history of attention to detail during design and construction. Each section of each building tells us an important story.
Wide and tall front windows were designed to invite travelers and residents inside. Regularly spaced and attractively framed windows on the second floors provide a sense of order and presence. Decorative cornices cap the buildings with various period styles of architectural ornamentation. Buildings in a row are defined by different heights and storefronts that both create distinction and flow into an appealing line. These buildings, as one expert has described them, “were designed and built to last for centuries.” They were built with the future of our community in mind.
The value of our historic architecture to our community’s heart and to its economic success not been lost upon our city. Main Street Siloam Springs’ Design committee focuses especially on helping business and property owners maintain the sense of permanence and aesthetic appeal of our downtown structures. These volunteers, many of them experts in the field, are developing an Historic Design Guide that will help guide the renovation of these buildings.
Furthermore, Main Street Siloam Springs is now offering the first annual Gloria McEnroe Façade Renovation Grant. Named after a long-time, dedicated board member and Siloam citizen, this matching grant will allocate up to $1000 on a maximum 50/50 matching basis for façade improvements in the Main Street service area. Applications are due no later than Friday, March 25th for review.
For further information about the Façade Renovation Grant, Main Street’s upcoming events, including Farmers Market dates and times visit our website: mainstreetsiloam.com
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