If you haven’t had the chance to visit Downtown Henderson’s Mainstreet Marketplace, you’re definitely missing out! The beautifully decorated storefront is located at 404 South Garnet Street, aka Main Street, and is filled with handcrafted art pieces made by many of our area’s local artisans.

Formally the old Gooch and Harris Tobacco House, the Mainstreet Marketplace building has had numerous owners and businesses since it was first used in 1885.  In 1935, it became the Landis Automobile Co. and then the Rushton Pontiac Oldsmobile Co. until 1972. From there, it was used by Christian Hardwick Furniture, Vance Furniture, then Star Furniture and Sam’s Furniture before Lebert Howes bought the building and opened Mainstreet Marketplace in 2015. Howes collaborated with Project Manager Jo Thiler and Marketing Manager John Price to come up with an idea that would focus on the arts and support artists in our area. Jo Thiler said, “Lebert Howes called me and said he wanted to do something to help downtown. We had lost gift shops there and we wanted to create a variety to target more upscale because there was a need. Retail brings people back more often, and we wanted to create something that would tie in with the performing arts. That’s why we have a baby grand in the front room. We asked what we could put in the Marketplace to make it good for Vance County.”

When the Marketplace opened in November of 2015, it had only 12 vendors. Now the store has over 80 vendors with 39 of them making 100 percent of the art or craft that they sell. Artists may sell under consignment or purchase an area for a specific monthly fee. Some of the artists that make their own art pieces are Louis Saks of Henderson, otherwise known as The Bowl Man, Don Reardon of Townsville, and Debbie
Manor of Henderson. Mr. Saks makes fine wood pieces such as walnut and oak slicing boards, maple and sweet gum knitting bowls, and wine bottle stoppers made with a combination of woods. Saks said, “Since Mainstreet Marketplace opened up, it’s given me more exposure in the last six months than in the last 10 years regarding what I do. It’s a breath of fresh air for Henderson and local artists.”

Artist Don Reardon is a sculptor of handmade, one-of-a-kind, fire-clay-paint-and-wood pieces. When asked about what he thought about selling his work at the Marketplace, he said, “I’m
happy that they have accepted my work there, and I hope that the public will support Mainstreet Marketplace. I’ve been doing this for about 30 years. The operators of Mainstreet Marketplace are a pleasure to work with and have been really good to me.”

Debbie Maner has an eclectic mix of artwork she sells at Mainstreet Marketplace. She is a painter of acrylic and watercolor paintings as well as a photographer and sculptor. When asked about how she felt about the new store and what is has to offer Henderson, she said, “I’m very excited to see Mainstreet Marketplace in Henderson. I think the Marketplace is trying to do a lot to support local artists.  There is always something new. There’s always something for everybody with a wide range of prices and varieties in the Marketplace.”

John Price, who ran ADP Thriftshop on “Main Street” for thirty years and did their window displays, is now the Marketing Manager for Mainstreet Marketplace. He does many of the displays in the store including the creative window fronts. Price said this about Henderson and shopping in the Marketplace, “I love what we’re doing because of the town. I love the town. Come in and just walk around. Look. Even if you don’t buy anything, you may see an item and then tell a friend who may be looking for something just like it. It’s all about word of mouth.”

Time Magazine’s June 11, 2009 article by Judith D. Schwartz, Buying Locally: How it Boosts the Economy, stated that, “At the most basic level, when you buy local more money stays in the community. The New Economics Foundation, an independent economic think tank based in London, compared what happens when people buy produce at a supermarket versus a local farmer’s market or community supported agriculture (CSA) program and found that twice the money stayed in the community when folks bought locally.” In the article, NEF researcher David Boyle said, “That means those purchases are twice as efficient in terms of keeping the local economy alive.”

Indeed, said Boyle, many local economies are languishing not because too little cash comes in, but as a result of what happens to that money. “Money is like blood. It needs to keep moving around to keep the economy going,” he says, noting that when money is spent elsewhere—at big supermarkets, non-locally owned utilities and other services such as on-line retailers—”it flows out, like a wound.” By shopping at the corner store instead of the big box, consumers keep their communities from becoming what the NEF calls “ghost towns” (areas devoid of neighborhood shops and services) or “clone towns”, where “Main Street” now looks like every other main street with the same fast-food and retail chains.

If you are looking for a unique gift and want to support buying local, the Marketplace is a great place to shop for a one-of-a-kind piece. There are antiques for sale as well, and there is a wide range of prices, so don’t think it’s a store only for the wealthy. There are many beautiful vintage pieces or cute crafts for less than $10 and new items are being brought in all of the time. There have been wedding receptions in the arbor room as well as book signings, and there is a brand new teachers store located in the back section of Mainstreet Marketplace. The next addition will be a covered outdoor seating area along Orange Street. The store also has a Facebook page that customers can visit to keep updated with new vendors and events. If interested in becoming a vendor, stop by the store for more details. If you want to find something special or are just in the mood to venture out to a new and eclectic space, give Mainstreet Marketplace a try!

WIZS Staff Writer – Jo Smith