Revitalization efforts in Downtown Victoria are gathering attention.

Victoria and three other Crossroads area towns were recently commended for successful annual progress as a designated Main Street community. The Texas Historical Commission's Texas Main Street Program made the announcement Jan. 30 at the gathering of Texas Main Street managers.

Also recognized were Goliad, Bay City and Gonzales.

In all, 67 designated Main Street programs in Texas were recognized, according to a Texas Historical Commission news release. These cities will receive national accreditation by the National Trust Main Street Center, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, at the National Main Street conference in New Orleans in April.

The recognition is a notable accomplishment, especially for communities recognized year after year, Debra Farst, the Texas Main Street Program's state coordinator, said in the release.

"Incremental progress that leads to comprehensive success is at the core of the preservation-based Main Street model, and that is exactly what these programs are showing," she said. "This process respects the unique nature of each Main Street community."

Each program is recognized for its own area effort, she said, noting the communities are real places telling real stories.

Accredited programs show above average performance in 10 categories on an annual report. Selection criteria focus on planning, partnerships, staffing, volunteer efforts, preservation ethic, training and program assessment through reporting.

The state office also works with programs throughout the year by providing various services based upon local needs.

For more information about the national Main Street effort, visit Preservation Nation's website. For information on the Texas Historical Commission's Main Street program, visit thc.state.tx.us.

• Victoria was one of 67 Texas Main Street programs to receive national recognition. The full list of cities includes:

  1. Amarillo

  2. Bastrop

  3. Bay City

  4. Beaumont

  5. Bowie

  6. Brenham

  7. Bridgeport

  8. Canton

  9. Canyon

  10. Carthage

  11. Celina

  12. Clifton

  13. Colorado City

  14. Corsicana

  15. Cotulla

  16. Del Rio

  17. Denison

  18. Denton

  19. Electra

  20. Elgin

  21. Farmersville

  22. Ferris

  23. Gainesville

  24. Georgetown

  25. Goliad

  26. Gonzales

  27. Graham

  28. Grand Saline

  29. Grapevine

  30. Greenville

  31. Harlingen

  32. Henderson

  33. Hillsboro

  34. Huntsville

  35. Kerrville

  36. Kilgore

  37. La Grange

  38. Laredo

  39. Levelland

  40. Livingston

  41. Llano

  42. Longview

  43. Lufkin

  44. McKinney

  45. Mineola

  46. Mount Pleasant

  47. Mount Vernon

  48. Nacogdoches

  49. New Braunfels

  50. Odessa

  51. Palestine

  52. Paris

  53. Pecos

  54. Plainview

  55. Rio Grande City

  56. Rockwall

  57. San Angelo

  58. San Marcos

  59. Seguin

  60. Taylor

  61. Tyler

  62. Uvalde

  63. Vernon

  64. Victoria

  65. Waxahachie

  66. Weatherford

  67. Winnsboro

  Source: Texas Historical Commission news release