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Laurens County, South Carolina – Two of the three Main Street organizations within Laurens County are in a bit of flux with the recent resignation of Main Street Clinton Director Jim Spry, along with the announcement late last week that Main Street Laurens had lost its status as an Accredited Main Street affiliate and is now at the Friends level.

Gray Court, which joined Main Street South Carolina in 2023 as a city form of Main Street, is also at the Friends level under Main Street Manager Keisha Taylor.

In Clinton, Spry, who had already turned events over to the City of Clinton and been working primarily in economic development, said that he had some of his own business obligations that need his attention. He said he needed to step back from the part-time position as the head of Main Street Clinton.

“It has been a couple of pretty impactful years with the fire and the hurricane,” he said, referring to the Musgrove Street fire in August of 2024 and Hurricane Helene a month later. “There’s no shortage of good ideas right now, but (I don’t have) the time and resources needed to put those things into motion.”

Main Street Clinton Board Chair Susan Tallman said the board and some members with city council and city staff had a meeting last week to consider the organization’s next moves.

“We had a good frank discussion and we are trying to figure things out,” Tallman said. “We are happy to raise support, but currently we still need the city financially, so we think we need to remain in the Main Street Friends category another year before we consider hiring a full-time director.”

In Laurens, the Main Street presence has been established for decades, and Main Street South Carolina Manager Jenny Boulware said the Main Street Laurens program entered a probationary period in March as part of the state and national regular review process.

Main Street Laurens had undergone significant transitions over the last several years, having lost its long-time director Jonathan Irick when he went to work for Main Street South Carolina. The board hired Craig Sharpton, who took on the position for a short while and departed last winter. After a period without a director, then board member Debbie Simpson took on the task part time in addition to operating her downtown business.

The board then hired long-time MSL volunteer Brad Abercrombie a year ago.

“A probationary period provides an opportunity for a program to focus on areas where additional growth and support is needed,” Boulware said. “It is not intended to diminish the value of the pro- gram or the work taking place in the community.”

Transitioning the program to the Friends level, she said, “allows the organization to remain connected to the network while continuing to strengthen its program and work toward returning to Accredited status.”

MSL Board Chair John Young said the news of the decreased status came on the same day it learned the City of Laurens had decreased the funding level for the program. The board is already taking needed steps to get the program back to its former Accredited level and sees this as a temporary setback. The board will be addressing funding issues as well.

“Brad came in after a rough patch with very limited training, and he freely admits that administrative duties are not his strong suit,” Young said. “I don’t want to minimize the issues we are facing as an organization but we’ve had several frank discussions among our board members. We thoroughly believe the organization is viable and capable of overcoming these temporary setbacks and with continued community support we will emerge even stronger than before.”

Boulware, who also once led the Main Street Laurens organization, agrees, noting that this is not the first time a local program has temporarily lost its Accredited status.

“Other Main Street programs in South Carolina have gone through similar processes, strengthened their programs and successfully returned to Accredited status,” she said. “Every Main Street community has its own circumstances. Building a strong program requires many pieces working together to ensure long-term sustainability.”

Boulware also notes the significant work Main Street Laurens has accomplished over the years, and the role it has played in downtown revitalization, including taking on ownership and stewardship of its own commercial building on the Square and the Whistle Stop Cottage.

“These types of investments demonstrate a commitment to the community and are unique examples of the impact a Main Street organization can have,” she said.

Young said there are not many Main Street programs within South Carolina which have reached the level of Accredited Main Street program, and he feels sure that MSL will reach it again as board members have increased their assistance in specific areas.

“Ultimately, annual reviews are about helping communities build stronger Main Street programs,” Boulware said. “Every program has strengths and opportunities to grow. The goal is always to provide a path forward and Main Street South Carolina remains committed to supporting Main Street Laurens and its leadership as they continue this important work.”

This story originally ran Page 1 of the Wednesday, Aug. 5 issue of The Laurens County Advertiser.

Following Main Street South Carolina's accreditation review process, Main Street Laurens will now be classified at the "Friends" level within the state Main Street network for the remainder of 2026 and through 2027. While Laurens' program is no longer recognized as an Accredited Main Street program, it remains part of the Main Street South Carolina network and will continue receiving guidance and resources as it works toward future reaccreditation.

Main Street Laurens is an independent non-profit organization which was founded in 1996 to work in conjunction with the City of Laurens to promote historic preservation and encourage downtown revitalization. It is part of a larger network of similar non-profit organizations across the state. This network of statewide revitalization programs, some which operate as part of city governments and some which operate independently as non-profits, is supported and organized by Main Street South Carolina, which is part of the Municipal Association of South Carolina.

Main Street Laurens’ new status will allow the organization to receive guidance to strengthen its governance, operations and create plans for long-term sustainability.

This change reflects the need to implement reforms identified as part of Main Street South Carolina’s review along with internal discussions of Main Street Laurens’ board.

Main Street South Carolina’s extensive review of the organization’s governance and practices identified several areas where Main Street Laurens can improve. In order to build a more sustainable future, Main Street Laurens will make strategic improvements to its governance, strategic planning, board development and organizational practices.

The Main Street Laurens Board of Directors recognizes Main Street South Carolina's recommendations and has already begun implementing improvements. The organization has experienced several leadership changes over the past three years, and the current Board and leadership recognize the importance of establishing long-term stability as they work toward reaccreditation, potentially as soon as 2028.

Throughout this internal review and rebuilding process, Main Street Laurens says they will remain committed to supporting the businesses, property owners, volunteers and stakeholders who make downtown Laurens a vibrant destination.

At a recent meeting between the Main Street Laurens Board of Directors and City of Laurens leadership, representatives of both organizations reaffirmed their shared commitment to the continued success of downtown Laurens and to working together throughout this process.

During the 2026-2027 budget, the City of Laurens allocated $10,000 to Main Street Laurens and will allocate additional program funding if requested and approved by City Council. The City had previously allocated $68,000 annually to Main Street Laurens.

According to Mayor Nathan Senn, the funding decision by the City was made prior to any accreditation decision by Main Street SC.

Brad Abercrombie, Executive Director of Main Street Laurens, said, “For more than 30 years, Main Street Laurens has worked alongside our businesses, property owners, volunteers, and community partners to help shape a vibrant downtown. We recognize the recommendations made by Main Street South Carolina and are evaluating our next steps to strengthen our organization. We will work to understand our challenges and address them head on. This is an opportunity to build on the work of the past, strengthen our foundation, and continue serving the businesses, property owners and community that believe in downtown Laurens. We appreciate the continued partnership of the City of Laurens as we move forward together.”

Mayor Senn said, “Downtown Laurens has seen tremendous progress because of strong partnerships and people who care deeply about this community. That will not change. Main Street Laurens has played an important role in our community’s success over the past 30 years, and the City remains committed to working alongside the organization as it moves through this next chapter. Together, we will continue supporting downtown businesses, encouraging investment and vibrancy and preserving the character of our downtown.”

Over the coming months, Main Street Laurens will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of its programs and operations to ensure that the organization is both sustainable and effective in carrying out the role it was established to play for Laurens.

“We know people will have questions about what this means practically, particularly when it comes to plans for Squealin’ on the Square and other events that people associate with Main Street,” said Executive Director Brad Abercrombie. “As we move through this process, Main Street Laurens will continue hosting events and programs that align with our mission and goals moving forward. We will share updates on specific events as plans are finalized, but our commitment to downtown Laurens remains unchanged. Main Street Laurens and the City are committed to working together to make Laurens the best place it can be.”