Shrinking town seeks revival, help from HGTV
At a glance, the town of Whitakers looks like it's on track to wither away.
Taylor's Cleaners is in tatters.
Behind the stately stone facade of the Bank of Whitakers is a vault of ruin.
“We had a bank. We had a drug store. We had a mercantile. We had a dime store,” Nancy Taylor said.
Years ago, when the town's only school closed, life began to drain from Whitakers, she said.
But there's life yet.
“We’re just a good little town that’s lost a lot over the last 20 years, and it would be great if we could recapture some of the beautification and the things our forefathers gave to us,” Taylor said.
Two years ago, she started a nonprofit called Whitakers Revitalize and Preserve, or WRAP.
When its members see boarded-up windows, they see a town ready for prime time.
That's why they're applying to be featured on HGTV's "Hometown Takeover," which will give four American towns a makeover in 2021. The community of Franklinton is also vying for an HGTV makeover.
Alex Williams put together the video for the entry.
“When we heard about HGTV’s ‘Hometown Takeover,’ it was like a message sent from above – ‘Hey, we hear you.’”
HGTV says it’s the network’s "biggest renovation project ever."
The town must have fewer than 40,000 people and a "Main Street that needs a face lift."
“It walks right along with what we’re trying to do,” Williams said.
The population has been peeling away like weathered paint. Back in the 1960s, more than 1,200 people lived in the town.
Now, it’s down to 700.
But WRAP is already painting a brighter picture for Whitakers.
Its members created a little park beside the town's picturesque library. They planted azaleas. They're raising money.
Even if HGTV passes, they say Whitakers is in for an awakening.
“We have such diversity in this town, and it would be amazing to be able to walk downtown again like it used to be years ago, when I was a kid, and to be able to see a true reflection of who we are and what we believe in,” said Denaide Dickens, a WRAP member.
It's a community of lovely old homes that need love, of beauty that's worthy of a second glance.
