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"If you haven’t stopped by in a while, check out the Berryville Square. While Eureka Springs has its Artery, the Berryville Square now has eye-catching street art attracting visitors who like to have their photos taken in front of restorations of historic advertising on buildings.
The restoration effort started about 18 months ago with a discussion on Facebook, organizer Mary Nell Billings said. The work has been funded by donations from individuals, in addition to some fundraising events, and no tax or grant money has been involved.
“This was strictly done as a cooperative community project with the word spread mainly on Facebook by people who were interested in seeing something done on the Berryville Square,” Billings said. “It has gotten lots of attention. We have been in several publications such as Arkansas Living, Arkansas Democrat Gazette, KY3 and KOLR 10 out of Springfield. It started with one project and people got excited, so we would do another. It has been funded not just by locals, but people who lived here a long time ago. People started talking about it. Present and former residents were concerned with the demise of the square and began generously donating money to complete the projects.”
The work has been done by mural artists Randy Rust and James Abbott. “They have been wonderful,” Billings said. “They have been a joy to work with.”
Renovated signs are located all around the square. Two were original Coke signs that had nearly faded into oblivion. Billings had started thinking about restoring the signs years ago.
“Berryville is not known as an art town like Eureka,” Billings said. “But I could see what was on the buildings. I found out the artist was Paul Rhodes, who painted many of the signs back in the 1950s. He also was one who built the Main Theater sign in Berryville. Rick Barrow, a former resident, stepped forth and took over the renovations of that sign. It is beautiful. The movie marquee has all new neon lights.”
People are enthusiastic about the new attractions on the square.
“We have seen a lot of people excited about the square again,” Billings said. “People are photographing here constantly. Recently we had a photographer coming down to do a big shoot with vintage cars and ladies in old-fashioned clothing. It was all retro fifties. We have also had kids having their senior picture in front of them. At any given time, you will see strangers stopping and taking pictures.”
The project has grown quickly and been a great exercise in buildingcommunity pride.
“The intention was to start small and make people pay attention to the square again and realize it does have something to offer,” said Billings, who works at Fain’s Herbacy and Gaskins Cabin in Eureka Springs but grew up in and still lives in Berryville. “It is really the heart of the town, and it is unique. It has an incredible history. The new art is waking people up, putting some color and vibrancy into the old square. We have a long ways to go. It is important to stress this is strictly volunteer. No one gets paid except the artists.”
Some people who visit say the old town square makes them feel nostalgic. People will come through and say it reminds them of Mayberry, the small town on the Andy Griffith Show. Each one of these murals just adds to the nostalgia.
“It makes people stop and see what is around them,” Billings said. “And I do hope it will be a catalyst to effect change and make the square a happening place once again. We’ve seen a resurgence of pride. I often see that stated on Facebook when we put out a new mural. Many people say, ‘I’m so proud.’”
In two instances, artists restored what was almost gone.Others included the old RCA Victrola and Nipper the dog that was painted on the side of the Wilson’s TV building, and the old mercantile's cowboy with his hat in the air. Some have been restored to be “ghost signs” – almost faded out, but the images can be seen.
The mural on the side of the old Berryville Drug, the former bus stop for Continental Trailways, has created a tremendous amount of attention. Artists are painting people in the windows of the bus. A drawing was held to choose the people to be drawn in the windows and the man who used to drive the bus, Don Phillips, picked the winners out of the hat.
“That is what they are working on right now, putting people in the windows,” Billings said.
Contributions to the non-profit Berryville Restoration Fund are tax deductible, and the Facebook page is Berryville Community Restoration. The same group is also applying for historic district status for the Berryville Square."
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