ON MAIN STREET a VISITOR’S GUIDE to MAIN STREET TOCCOA • November 2018
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LIVINGON MAIN STREET A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO MAIN STREET TOCCOA • November 2018 FEATURING: Downtown Walking Guide Historic Plaque Tour Hollywood in Toccoa “Currahee:” A Battle Cry Toccoa is a Tree City Business Directory WWW.MAINSTREETTOCCOA.COMLIVING ON MAIN • WWW.RITZTHEATRETOCCOA.COM STREET • 1 MAIN STREET TOCCOA’S mission is to improve Toccoa’s quality of life by strengthening downtown’s role as the community’s heart. LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 3 CONTENTS WELCOME 5 MAIN STREET TOCCOA SIGHTS OF STEPHENS COUNTY 8 92 N. Alexander Street LOCAL & REGIONAL FAVORITES 10 Toccoa, GA 30577 TRAVEL BACK IN TIME 14 877.6.TOCCOA WALKING GUIDE 16 www.mainstreettoccoa.com GETTING DOWNTOWN 17 www.ritztheatretoccoa.com facebook.com/mainstreettoccoa CALENDAR OF EVENTS 18 YOUR DAY DOWNTOWN 20 Subscribe to our weekly email for Historic Downtown Toccoa events, “CURRAHEE:” A BATTLE CRY 21 retail promotions, and more! HOLLYWOOD IN TOCCOA 22 NIGHT AT THE RITZ 24 Main Street Toccoa DID YOU KNOW? 26 Youtube Channel A NEW RECREATIONAL PARK 27 TOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT 28 PHOTOGRAPHY: STEPH’S PHOTOGRAPHY TOCCOA IS A TREE CITY 29 ADDITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS: CHRISTIAN HAMILTON, CRAIG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 30 THURMOND, MARK BARRETT, APPLEHEAD PHOTOGRAPHY & BUSINESS DIRECTORY 32 DESIGN LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 4 WELCOME Toccoa comes from the Cherokee for “beautiful.” Our quaint city, located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the heart of Northeast Georgia certainly embodies that; and there is no better evidence of Toccoa’s beauty than its historic downtown. Walking the streets of Downtown Toccoa is not entirely unlike step- The cornerstone of Downtown Toccoa is the Historic Ritz Theatre. ping into the past. Bells softly ring as you step into our unique spe- Also located on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ritz fea- cialty shops. Brick pavers line the sidewalks. Lights twinkle on our tures weekly concerts, movies, performances, and more. tree-lined Doyle Street. Facades are beautifully restored. Oh, and parking is free! Downtown Toccoa is picturesque – and for good rea- Take a look at our Night at the Ritz feature to see a line-up of our son. We are proudly certified as a Georgia Exceptional Main Street special acts. We’re proud to say that the revitalization work at the (GEMS) community, the highest and rarest designation awarded in Ritz has been recognized: The Ritz is the winner of the 2017 Chair- the State of Georgia. man’s Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation from the Geor- gia Trust for Historic Preservation, the nation’s largest statewide All of this is due to Toccoa’s award-winning non-profit preservation organization. revitalization and restoration projects. When you step into Downtown Toccoa, you step into Come and see what the buzz is about. We can’t wait for you to visit a National Register of Historic Places District. Historic Downtown Toccoa. There’s something for everyone here. LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 5 AD HERE? LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 6 WELCOME WELCOME TO DOWNTOWN TOCCOA DDA Chair, Mr. Clint Sanders As Chairman of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), I am proud and hon- ored to lead the efforts in continual improvement in quality of life in Downtown Toc- coa. The DDA guides Main Street Toccoa in the implementation of goals set forth by the Toccoa City Commission. Made up of seven downtown businesses and property owners, the DDA works hard to represent the community’s interest downtown. As part of our efforts, we oversee a competitive façade grant program that has con- tributed to the overall beautification efforts downtown. I’m also proud to say that we have been designated a 2018 PlanFirst and 2018 Rural Zone Community, one of the first 9 in the State of Georgia. These programs allow us to provide special tax credits to downtown business and property owners. Downtown Toccoa showcases the charm and hospitality of our beautiful city. Enjoy your visit downtown, and we hope you’ll come back to visit us. WELCOME TO MAIN STREET Main Street Manager, Christian Hamilton When one thinks of “Main Street,” imagery typically includes scenic store- front-lined streets, families walking, unique shops, and more. The hustle and bustle of a city can best be seen in a concentrated Main Street District. Downtown Toccoa is no different. Here at Main Street Toccoa, we focus on continued business recruitment and retention in Downtown Toccoa through a targeted effort focused on design, organization, promotions, and economic development. We are working with the DDA this year to implement several things downtown. These include: • The complete restoration work of the Ritz Theatre balcony, to be concluded by January 2019. STAFF: CHRISTIAN HAMILTON, SHARON CROSBY, CONNIE TABOR, • Installation of Phase II of our Downtown Wayfinding Signage, to be DANITA GAUDETTE, VICKY KING, BRADLEY JORDAN concluded by June 2019. • Continued recruitment of new business for downtown and the pro- motion of existing businesses. As Chairman Sanders stated above, we are excited about our new Plan- First and Rural Zone designations. As one of few communities with both of these designations, you can be confident that Downtown Toccoa is not only a great place to locate your business, it’s simply a great place to be! LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 7 LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 8 LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 9 LOCAL & REGIONAL FAVORITES 1. CAMP TOCCOA AT CURRAHEE Located at the base of Currahee Mountain, Camp Toccoa is the historic location and training facility for Easy Company, featured on HBO’s Band of Brothers. Camp Toccoa is in a state of revitalization and includes a new pavilion, barracks buildings, and a C-47, the very same style of plane that U.S. paratroopers jumped from in WWII. Currahee Mountain also serves as Toccoa’s most famous hiking and rock climbing site and rises to an elevation of 1,740 feet. Currahee, meaning “stands alone,” is located at the beginning of the Appalachian Mountains. 2. CURRAHEE MILITARY MUSEUM This world-class museum features a diverse collection of mem- orabilia from the more than 18,000 soldiers who trained as para- troopers at Camp Toccoa during WWII. Additionally, the museum features war history from the Civil War up through modern times, as well as a local and regional showcase. The Currahee Military Museum also features a revolving exhibit sponsored by various advocacy and social organizations that honors the dedication of the military throughout American history. 3. HISTORIC STEPHENS COUNTY COURTHOUSE Constructed in 1907, the Stephens County Courthouse was built as the official seat of government for the relatively new Ste- phens County. The historic courthouse, faithfully renovated in 2009, still holds certain county offices. The old courtroom on the second floor is worth a visit and has been featured in several films due to its style reminiscent of the early to mid-1900s. 4. HISTORIC RITZ THEATRE Constructed in 1939 as a single-screen movie theater, the Ritz Theatre has been meticulously renovated and now offers af- fordable and quality entertainment on a regular basis. The Ritz Theatre installed a neon-lit marquee in 2016, a state-of-the-art sound system in 2017, and balcony renovations are to be com- pleted by early 2019. Visit www.ritztheatretoccoa.com for pro- gramming information. LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 10 5. HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TOCCOA 6. TOCCOA FALLS The cultural heart of the City of Toccoa, the historic downtown This beautiful waterfall rests on the scenic 1,100-acre wooded district is located on both the Georgia and National Registers campus of Toccoa Falls College. At 186 feet high, Toccoa Falls of Historic Places. Downtown Toccoa features vibrant is one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. In storefronts and services and contains one of only fact, it is taller than Niagara Falls! The falls are available for three Southern Crescent Amtrak stations in the public viewing from 8:30am to sundown for a nominal fee. State of Georgia. It is anchored by the Historic Ritz Theatre on the west, the Doyle Street Pool on the east, and the new grant-funded Railway Viewing Platform on the south. 7. LAKE TOCCOA RECREATIONAL PARK 8. PAUL ANDERSON PARK This beautiful park celebrates the legacy of Paul Edward Ander- Lake Toccoa is the City of Toccoa’s newest park. Featuring an af- son (1932-1994), an Olympic gold medalist, weightlifter, and philan- fordable 9-hole golf course, a diverse selection of craft beer and thropist. Paul Anderson is known for back-lifting 6,270 pounds, the local wine at Ping’s Grill, and a newly renovated event center – Re- greatest weight ever lifted by a human being. As a devout Chris- flections, Lake Toccoa is fun for the entire family. A pier and pavilion tian, Paul and his wife, Glenda, later founded the Paul Anderson are in the process of construction, and a handicapped accessible Youth Home in Vidalia, Georgia. walking trail will soon be completed around the lake’s perimeter. LIVING ON MAIN STREET • 11 LOCAL & REGIONAL FAVORITES 9. TUGALOO BEND HERITAGE SITE An 87-acre site located on the Tugaloo River, the Tugaloo Bend Heritage Site was home to Estatoe, a Cherokee village, and subsequently, a 19th and 20th century operating farm. Today, the site is home to a pavilion, public restrooms, a picnic area, and walking trails (including a handicapped-accessible trail). The Tugaloo Bend Heritage Site is open on the weekends for general admission, as well as during the week by appointment. There is no charge for admission. 10. GEORGIA BAPTIST CONFERENCE CENTER Available at an affordable price for Christians and non-profit or- ganizations to host retreats, day meetings, and banquets, this beautiful conference center boasts 240 guest rooms, a 1,000- seat auditorium, a 300-seat chapel, 42 meeting rooms, a coffee and snack shop, as well as a lake-view dining room.