Hendersonville Seventh Avenue rebranding unveiled at council meeting
The results of the Seventh Avenue branding and visioning, which were presented at the Dec. 1 Hendersonville City Council meeting, paid special attention to the history and character of the historic area.
Shawn Terpack of Arnett Muldrow & Associates presented the new branding, which took local inspiration from the Historic Railroad Depot, existing branding, the Green Meadows neighborhood and even historic high school yearbooks, and combined it with a little bit of inspiration from Brooklyn, New York, which used to share its name with what is now the Green Meadows community.
In addition to creating logos, signs and marketing material, Arnett Muldrow produced a story of the district informed by discussions with the project's Steering Committee, made up of Seventh Avenue business owners, property owners and residents of the Green Meadows neighborhood, the Downtown Advisory Board and its subcommittee, the Community Character Board and public input from over 40 stakeholders in August.
That story, titled "We are Downtown's Seventh Avenue," reads:
"It is here that the history of Hendersonville evolves when the Transylvania Railroad connected Hendersonville to the towns and resorts of Western North Carolina in the late 1800s. By the early 1900s a large depot that still stands today used drays to carry the bounty of Henderson County's orchards and farms to Asheville, Spartanburg and points beyond.
"It is here that freed African Americans came from rural settlements like the Kingdom of the Happy Land to seek opportunity and employment around the depot and in the businesses of Seventh Avenue. The district was surrounded by a thriving neighborhood called Brooklyn that would bear witness to redevelopment, removal and displacement. Today, Green Meadows and legacy businesses stand a reminders of the diverse history here.
"It is here that our landmark Depot stands sentinel surrounded by commercial buildings, diverse businesses, and a new energy on the Avenue. Inspired entrepreneurs are opening businesses and renovating buildings. Farmers once again gather here to sell fruit, vegetables, and food to people who come from near and far. Artists are transforming once barren spaces into places of whimsy and imagination. And trains still travel now on model tracks sparking the imagination of young and old.
"Seventh Avenue is part of the grand adventure of downtown Hendersonville — a place that sets the standard of what a revitalized downtown can be. We invite you to enjoy a stroll along the avenue, experience the intricate mosaic of our history, revel in the art in our galleries and on the street, explore places where repurposing what is old into something new is part of our rich character.
"We are Seventh Avenue: Downtown's Creative Edge."
Council Member Debbie O'Neal-Roundtree, who said at the meeting that her great great grandfather helped lay the bricks on Maple Street and that her mom grew up in the immediate area, said the branding "looks great."
The rebranding process was started mainly because of the streetscape project for Seventh Avenue set to start in the spring, according to Downtown Manager Jamie Carpenter.
Related:7th Avenue zoning change voted down over gentrification, affordability concerns
Past Reporting:Seventh Avenue 'rebrand' ramps up; Some residents concerned history will be lost
More:Seventh Avenue makeover: Wider sidewalks, gateway entrances, trees in city of Hendersonville’s plan
Arnett Muldrow also did the historic downtown branding for the city in 2007, according to past Times News reporting.
Christian Smith is a reporter for the USA Today Network. Questions or Comments? Contact him at RCSmith@gannett.com or (828) 274-2222
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Seventh Avenue rebranding unveiled
