The Bastrop Main Street Program received a 2026 Accredited Main Street America designation in recognition of the city's work to strengthen the program and its historic preservation efforts.
What's happening
“Making accreditation this year is such a big deal because it shows that the city is prioritizing how much of an asset our historic downtown is,” said Michaela Joyce, Discover Bastrop director. “We’ve got so much growth going on around us, and preserving downtown is what keeps us unique.”
What else
Bastrop had maintained accredited status since 2007 before Main Street America overhauled its accreditation process in 2024, introducing stricter baseline requirements and tougher evaluations across six performance categories.
As part of the new standards, communities the size of Bastrop are required to maintain a full-time Main Street manager. Bastrop’s program went without a manager for about five months in 2024, preventing the city from meeting accreditation standards that year. In 2025, the city narrowly missed accreditation again after evaluators determined additional progress was needed in historic preservation efforts.
In response, the Bastrop Main Street Advisory Board and Historic Landmark Commission worked with the city’s Development Services Department to strengthen protections for the downtown district. The city adopted historic overlays and continued work on updated design guidelines to preserve the character of Bastrop’s historic core, Joyce said.
"Being able to make accreditation after [Main Street America] has gotten tougher on the standards shows that we are doing what we should be doing to have a thriving downtown," Joyce said.
What's next
Joyce said her goal is to pursue the Great American Main Street Award, a national recognition honoring top Main Street programs across the country.
