TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — After local investors and developers allocated money to renovate historic buildings in downtown Taylorville, the city has seen their square flourish.
Mayor Bruce Barry said that the changes started years ago and have led to the thriving downtown square the locals know and love today. "It started about five or six years ago after the tornado. A girl by the name of Lindsey Byler started Farmhouse Signs on the west side of the square. And since then, I've just seen a lot of great stores have decided to move and come on our square in Taylorville." said Barry.
One of those new stores is The Dandy Lion, which is owned and operated by 24-year-old Jessica Owyler. The Dandy Lion is an eco-friendly storefront with over 47 local vendors. Owyler is a Taylorville native and has watched the downtown area be rejuvenated. "Within the past three years, the growth has been exponential. There have been restaurants that have opened, storefronts, retail. We have a lot of outstanding businesses that come in." said Owyler. "And all of our business owners are incredibly good at connecting with one another and working together to kind of boost it even further."
Small Town Taylorville — an organization that works on creating those community opportunities -- hosts a car show the first Friday of every month, in order to bring locals together and draw in visitors. Their next car show will be this week, on Friday August 2nd.
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