HGTV Hometown Makeover Greeneville, TN

Greeneville, TN has now been submitted to the HGTV contest known as Hometown Makeover.

[@veryvermilion]

I was a kid in Greeneville in the late 60's and 70's. I spent my teens there. I remember the vibrant downtown you talk about. I remember going to Watson's, J C Penney, Parks-Belk, Woolworth's and the various furniture stores with my parents. The streets were filled with people on Saturdays--spending their paychecks from the many factories and farms in the area. It was so exciting to leave our house in the county to go downtown. It was especially magical during Christmas. I opened my first bank account--a "Johnny Appleseed Account"--at Greene County Bank when I was 6 years old. Daddy went one Friday to deposit some money at Greene County Bank and they gave him several white pine seedlings in a small, plastic bag. Those seedlings are now enormous--lining the property of our old home in Mosheim. When I was 15, I took a job at Burger Chef. Every Friday and Saturday night it seemed like thousands of cars circled Tusculum Blvd. until the wee hours of the morning. It was just harmless fun. I watched so many movies at Capitol Theater--including the entire 4-hour showing of "Gone With The Wind" after the theater stopped showing first-run movies. It's sad that more recent generations of Greenevillians will never know how great Greeneville used to be.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Yes!! We have only grown up with those stories and stories like you have just told. I want this to happen so that my children can one day have a great downtown area to come to!

[@reggie2334able]

That sounds absolutely fantastic at least you have great memories👍

[@sendtosw]

Yep, I feel the same way you do whenever I see the downtown in Greeneville. My father and mother were both born there, my mother grew up there, graduated from Greeneville High as did my grandfather (her father) who managed the White Store, which was one of the big grocery stores there in the 40s and 50s. My father came back from California, married my mom, and then they moved out to California to start a family and that's where I grew up. I also have a great uncle who owned WGRV radio and started the local Rescue Squad in Greeneville. I always heard about Greeneville as a child, and only saw the very tail end of the town when it wasn't mostly abandoned buildings, in the mid-70s. It always makes me feel sad to see all the empty storefronts now, and I would love to see it prosper again. Thanks for the video.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Thanks so much. There’s actually a very big effort right now (specifically on Depot St) to revitalize and restore the entire street and store frontage. We just hope it gets the backing from the community that it will need in the future

[@jennielunghofer2686]

Thank you so much for submitting Greeneville for a much-needed makeover! I can remember as a child in the 60's how vibrant downtown used to be. How I would love to see that vitality once again! COME ON HGTV!!!

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Thank you Jennie! We had a blast shooting this one and would definitely be on board with with it being revitalized!

[@nanniecarper9002]

I lived in Greeneville in the 60's and yes we shopped in every store in Greeneville went to Hams and i hung out at the Big Top all my teenage years .It was a wonderful life .You can't go back I found out .

[@_motioncreativemedia]

I never got to eat at Hams or the Big Top.. I wish I had!!

[@RyGoofies]

Just PLEASE don’t destroy any memorials of Andrew Johnson’s

[@_motioncreativemedia]

You can't erase history!

[@tonileon4004]

My husband and I visited friends in Greenville several summers ago. The people are wonderful and resilient, but the economy has suffered. As we cruised the neighborhoods and saw the lovely old, abandoned homes, I mentioned that HGTV should come in here and spruce this town up. What, you're going to do that now HGTV? It will be a win all around. Thanks for considering this deserving city for your show. (Hi Ben, Erin and Helen!)

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Oh yes, the "bones" are still present and they are just begging to be revived! We so wish to see it restored and to be thriving again! Thank you for the idea that HGTV seems to be applying now!

[@TheDylan6908]

I love Erin and Ben. I had read that they are terrific people and it comes across in their show.

[@luckypennyandlittleellie]

I remember Hamms in 1987 when i was in 3rd grade at Hal henard grade school. Good ice and hot ham and cheese.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

We have heard fantastic tales of Hamms!

[@SethsProject]

I live like right down the road from downtown, and I’ve always wanted them to do something with it. Great video!

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Oh that is super cool! It would be convenient for you if they were to get a few restaurants moved in down on Depot St!

[@appalachianangler]

I grew up in Greeneville mostly in the '90s, so I saw the closing of Magnavox and Pet. Many friends' parents were laid off. It was still a wonderful place to grow up. I would say it has the best mountain views of about any town in East TN. The downtown has some of the best architecture in the region as well for a town of its size--it just needs help!

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Oh I’m sure that was definitely a tough time for the area. My mother worked at magnavox and was laid off at the very tail end of their stint in Greeneville. We truly love our downtown area but we just want to see it restored!

[@franksantore2810]

If it were not for us attorneys having renovated many downtown buildings, there would be NO downtown of which to speak. Having said this, the prognosis is not as bad as it seems. If we define downtown as the area bounded by the railroad tracks on the north, College and Academy Streets on the south, Tusculum Blvd. on the east and McKee St. on the west, most of the properties are full (and the vacant properties free of rubbish) with the exception of (1) the Lancaster Bldg., Dodd Bldg. and Bradford Bldg. on South Main (recently purchased by the McAfee law firm), 2. the First National Bank building and (3) the vacant West Depot St. buildings. While Scott Niswonger and the town are ready to implement the plan to put us over the top, the big problem is PARKING. We are going to have to build a multilevel parking garage, with architecture that blends in with the Historic District, probably where the lot is across the street from the Federal Courthouse.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

I would agree with that. Main Street definitely has occupancy and overall more businesses do seem to have came into the downtown area within the last 5-10 years. I can also see how parking would definitely be an issue and perhaps that also deters folks from opening businesses and restaurants to a degree. I guess at some point, someone has to be the chicken and someone has to be the egg. I would just love to see restaurants and shops fill Depot street. I think that would be so awesome. Honestly, you could close Depot street from Main Street to the courthouse and make that green space somewhat like a large courtyard and I think that would be an amazing space for outdoor seating or even entertainment because of the natural elevation heading towards Main Street.

[@kimmeedumplins]

Even in the early 90s before the loss of major industries (shipbuilders, magnavox etc) - it was still somewhat trying to thrive. Best wishes.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Yes, my mother and father worked at shipbuilders and magnavox both! I just want to see it restored!

[@kimmeedumplins]

My father worked at the shipbuilders for like 15 years or something! ❤️

[@lauradupler9943]

Great job on the video. Fingers crossed!!!

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Oh yes, fingers are definitely crossed!

[@patsygunter3063]

I live in Greeneville Tennessee and it used to be a beautiful place to live

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Still hoping that it can be revived to its former glory days!

[@GodswillBDone4WeThePeople]

Got thrown in headlock at hams by the lady use take orders lol good times

[@_motioncreativemedia]

these are the stories that current generations are missing out on!

[@tuniabjc9659]

I totally agree with you. I've lived here for 20 years now and have yet to see it improve or come to a place full of new life in it. Instead of so many empty buildings. Sometimes sitting empty causes more troubles than if they were used for something like activities, i;d love to see more festivals here through the summers. Maybe something from the younger generations, beside balls games. I'd love to see my dream come to life. With an old warehouse turned into a fun place for the youth at low fees or donations. To keep kids active and where they could get use of computers for school work and be able to help each other with schoolwork. With fun spots like mazes or climbing walls an area for racing their remote control toys outside. But that all goes along with the place in the country for the same idea but with farm skills and friendships made. Our youth is our future here but they go away because there is nothing here for them to keep their interests. so it remains lifeless and in the mindset of those retired or set in their ways refusing to show progress instead of regress. How can we wake this sleepy town up and set it going forward? Who can start that dream into motion? I'd love to see a meeting on the mind both your age and the old bray hair generation sit and watch this or updated versions of it with some of the elders walking with you and sharing their visions , if they have any, that don't include name dropping of bigwigs, but directed for your generation and younger to step up and turn this town around.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

We can definitely get on board with anything that would fill the empty buildings. I wonder if such a meeting could be possible. I would definitely be in support of it so that people could be on the same page. I know there are historical restrictions and zoning issues and parking issues for the downtown area but I think surely something can be done. I just want to see it revived and to see it thriving again!

[@TheDylan6908]

That was sad.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

thank you!

[@mikedurdin8336]

Went to college in Greeneville during the 90s

[@_motioncreativemedia]

Oh that is super cool! So cool to hear stories like that.

[@zekewatson6489]

The opioid epidemic has destroyed towns like Greenville.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

It certainly has left an impact on the community, that's for sure. It's negatively impacted almost every town in some fashion unfortunately.

[@gaillol8017]

NAFTA destroyed more than anything due to all the manufacturing companies moving out of the us with no jobs to replace them

[@ilianagaray5052]

Hi. I want to know if snow falls in January

[@_motioncreativemedia]

So, our snowfall varies so much from year to year. We do normally see some snow in the winter months. December-March could all see some snowfall. Anywhere from a light dusting to 6-7 inches.

[@jebadiah9194]

Why do we brag about Andrew Johnson? He was literally one of the worst presidents. We should be bragging on the real American Hero, Davy Crockett! We should get a tavern and some historic events and maybe even a small frontier village. Mix the historic with bringing back some real American restaurants downtown like a quality diner and maybe a low key Irish pub, maybe a leather shop, some local family owned businesses, etc. Let’s get Auntie Ruth’s downtown! I’d be in that place daily.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

I’m not 100% sure how his name got to be so prevalent in our area. There are some cool things happening in the area, but they aren’t happening overnight and they’re also going to need support once they open up so that they can succeed and others can follow suit. Would be cool to see a Davy Crockett themed location though

[@kimmeedumplins]

Beautiful.

[@_motioncreativemedia]

thank you!