story and photos by Jackie Nunnery
While many main streets across the country are fading away, the Northern Neck is blessed with a number of vibrant main street communities that encourage a slower pace, offer interesting products and services, and help support local entrepreneurs and artisans.
Warsaw’s Main Street is becoming such a place as new storefronts are opening with greater frequency and the buzz about what is coming is creating momentum for locals and visitors alike.
Enjoy a stroll, then sit for a spell
All along Main Street, the town has added both functional and scenic elements to encourage people to walk, meet or sit and people-watch.
Concrete sidewalks are slowly being replaced with brick pavers and attractive streetlights with hanging baskets of flowers were just recently installed. Comfortable benches line the street and picnic tables are also available to take a break and enjoy an ice cream, cupcake or carryout from nearby restaurants.
Joseph Quesenberry, Warsaw’s town manager, has been one of the main forces behind the revitalization program. “I wanted to make Warsaw a destination, to bring things to Main Street that would encourage people to check it out.”
One of the jewels of the revitalization project has been the development of Town Park, which provides amenities for families and visitors of all ages. A picturesque gazebo stands in the center as a shady gathering spot surrounded by a playground for kids, restrooms, even a fenced dog park for the four-legged family members to run off-leash.
Main Street is open for business
As people trickle into the area, curious and excited about what’s happening, so, too, are shopowners.
Teresa King, owner of Main Street Hair Salon is pleased with the changes. King opened her salon six years ago and hopes that the increased foot traffic will bring walk-in clientele.
“It really is a nice place to walk around,” she said.
And that is part of the appeal, and perhaps nostalgia, for Main Street communities and the small-town feel. You experience a town in a different way when you’re walking rather than driving. You interact with others on the street, you do a little window shopping or pop into a store you might otherwise pass on by.
If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth while you stroll, Bubba B’s Ice Creamery, serving Hershey’s ice cream, sundaes and shakes, just might be your place. Enjoy your ice cream indoors or outside on one of the picnic tables. Michelle’s Sweet Treats features made-from-scratch pies, cookies and cakes along with a relaxing outdoor space to enjoy them.
Unlike shopping in chain stores, there’s a connection, a sense of community that develops when you know the store owner, and often their families, as people who will go the extra mile to make sure you’re happy.
Tonya Bednar, her husband, Christopher, and daughters, Nicole and Jennifer, all operate Timed Together Southern Charm, tucked away near Town Park. Tonya, who “always had a talent for upcycling” offers an eclectic mix of antiques, handmade furniture and shabby chic treasures that you can’t find shopping online or in big box stores. You can spend hours browsing vintage and vintage-inspired pieces Tonya finds at estate sales and auctions. The collection is located appropriately enough in the town’s former garage, which gives off a barn-like look and feel.
Nearby Relish Restaurant and Wine Bar is also waiting to welcome you with chef/owner Carol Mead Smith’s contemporary take on Southern specialties. Using locally-sourced ingredients, Smith serves entrees with names like NNK Street Corn and Local Lump Crab Tower, giving credit and thanks to the farmers and watermen on the menu. It’s a whole new take on knowing where your food comes from.
Like many businesses on Main Street, Smith struggled with “staying open and staying relevant” during the coronavirus-related closures, relying on a small group of employees and a loyal band of carryout customers to make it through.
And like many businesses on Main Street, Smith continues to navigate the uncertainties that come with reopening, trying to stay flexible, “trying to balance taking care of people and keeping everyone safe.”
To that end, Relish is offering outdoor seating and a limited menu that still includes a wide variety of appetizers and main courses, in addition to a selection of beer, wine and fresh squeezed specialty cocktails like gin cucumber coolers and twisted orange crush.
“Our community has been very supportive through all this,” Smith said as people gathered the first night that Relish welcomed back patrons for sit-down service in early June.
In addition to anticipating a full opening in the near future, Smith is also looking forward to other businesses coming to the street in the upcoming months.
More on the horizon
One of the bigger projects of Warsaw’s rebirth is the development of the Old Rapp Brewing Company and the Old Rapp Taphouse, both headed up by Andy Beale. On a nearly one-block space that used to be the home of a hardware store among other things, the new space is a mixture of retail—Burkes Fine Jewelers opened in October 2019, —along with the brewery and restaurant.
As the name suggests, The Old Rapp Taphouse will cater to the adventurous beer drinker. The food, “an elevated American style,” according to Beale, will be “casual but refined and pair well with the 12 beers on draft” and others available by bottle.
With large screen TVs lining the walls, the restaurant will be the perfect place to be “once live sports return,” Beale said. The restaurant is expected to open sometime in July. The brewery will come later.
Warsaw Mayor Randy Phelps is enthusiastic of what the future of Warsaw holds. “With new housing going up at a record rate, new restaurants opening, new retail outlets opening their doors, Warsaw is well positioned as a regional destination point for dining, shopping, with job creation at an all-time high point.”
There will be more to see and do in Warsaw in the coming months. Heading up Main Street, the future home of Horn’s Ace Hardware is already under construction. The town also has undertaken a joint venture with the Menokin Foundation called Rappahannock Outdoor Adventure. The kayak rental will be at The Saddlery’s new home by Town Park. Visitors will be able to rent a kayak and be transported to the nearby Rappahannock River for a day on the water.
A major revitalization project, the Bounds, is completely transforming what was once a dilapidated shopping center and solving a major stormwater issue at the same time. Currently under construction, the new park will feature hiking trails, ponds to feed fish and ducks, and an outdoor amphitheater for entertainment.
The trails also will connect to the hidden gem that is the Enchanted Forest. Started by local carver Tom Rhodes, the 11-acre wooded space features a collection of children’s characters carved and painted directly into the trees. Kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt to find nearly 100 carvings of animals and characters from children’s books and movies.
Reconnect with community
The past few months have been difficult for everyone. As restrictions lessen and people start venturing out, it’s natural that they will seek to find a sense of normalcy and reconnect with others.
A trip down Main Street in Warsaw will not only lift your spirits, it will support local businesses and strengthen community ties, and keep the dream of thriving small-town main streets alive.
