Waynesborough needs money
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on October 29, 2004 2:03 PM
The Old Waynesborough Commission is developing a fund-raising plan to improve the historical village.
The commission has a list of projects that need to be funded, including:
*The restoration of the Best House;
*Expansion of the general store, visitor's center and blacksmith shop;
*An additional entrance sign for the village;
*Repairing of the tobacco barn, salt house hay barn and the floating dock on the Neuse River.
The village also needs an ice maker, refrigerator, golf cart and improvements in the wiring of the Hatch House, said Arnold Leder, commission's director of fund-raising and grants.
The commission's finance and grants committee will divide the fund-raiser into three parts: the general membership drive, a capital drive and a public drive.
Bob Logan, commission treasurer, plans to look at other fund-raisers for organizations like the Boy Scouts and the Wayne County Historical Association and make some suggestions about how the commission should proceed.
There are plans to have a combined list of people to send information letters to for the general membership and public drives.
Dan Sears, president of Sears Design Group in Raleigh, is scheduled to come to the village on Wednesday to offer advice. The commission wants help to determine how much money is needed and to set priorities.
Leder is continuing to apply for several grants, and some of the money would be used for the preparation and printing of brochures, which are placed at various travel stops along Interstate 95, hotels and other locations.
One grant is from the Goldsboro Travel and Tourism office for $2,000, which would be matched with $500 from the commission.
The other grant is $5,000 from the N.C. Adopt-A-Trail Program to promote the N.C. Mountain-to-the-Sea Trail project, said Leder. Part of the trail goes through the old state park, which the commission recently took over.
There is another matching grant available for up to $50,000, and that would be used to improve and extend the trail, said Terry Wolford, commission member.
The commission made some revenue from the "Shadows of Waynesborough" event held over the last two weekends. The total profit was $1,017, which is a lot more than last year, said Colleen Baker, the village's office manager.
The village received some renovations during the annual Make A Difference Day. Volunteers worked on the bell tower, repaired some of the buildings, built picnic tables and benches, and did some gardening.
The commission is planning to be the host of a "Day in the Park" and have local elected officials and business people out to see what the village has to offer the community. The date for the event is not set, but it will probably be sometime before February.
Another upcoming event is Christmas in the Village on Dec. 11.
An event displaying different religions and beliefs is being planned for Dec. 1 through Jan. 7.
The village is at 801 U.S. 117 S. Bypass in Goldsboro. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 731-1653 or e-mail waynesborough@earthlink.net.