OPINION
The Farmers and Merchants Bank is such an important landmark on the Pilot Point Square.
I'm grateful that the historic building still retains the beauty and strength it has projected on the corner of Main and Washington streets.
I'm grateful, too, to see the new owners Nathan and Shannon Brown step up to keep the legacy going.
After all, my family and I know a bit about keeping a piece of Pilot Point history alive.
Since I came to Pilot Point to interview with David Lewis, our former publisher and owner, in late 2017, I've watched the Square gradually evolve.
Several businesses and entities were already trying to help make the Square more vibrant—The Purple Door, Southern Junkiez and Notoriously Yours come to mind, as does the Garage Door Theater.
Lowbrows has seen multiple iterations since then, but it definitely helps add some liveliness to the Square, as has the Pilot Point Coffee House since it opened in 2020. Martin General Store, which was this year's Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award recipient, filled a niche when it came on the scene and offered a place for people to stop in regularly.
The Square Center and Selz and Henzler are longtime occupants who work to be good stewards of the buildings they occupy, as does All For Good.
Sarah Boyd & Company gave its building new life when it came to the Square.
Nearby, too, Leo's, Yearby's, Powerhouse Burger and the Pilot Point Meat Processing have all worked to bring commerce and life to the downtown area.
I do hope the Browns' investment in the cornerstone of the Square will help breathe new life into it that will build on the revitalization efforts the other downtown property owners and businesses have put into their spaces.
The Square is definitely worth the investment.
Abigail Allen is the Editor & Publisher of the Post-Signal. She can be reached at [email protected].
