BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — County officials have embarked on an ambitious project to breathe new life into the area surrounding the old abandoned jail and adjacent Historic Martin County Courthouse. The previously neglected location will be transformed into a vibrant art scene and tourist attraction.
Volunteers from Appalachia Reach Out were seen last week giving the decades-old jail a new lease of life. The faded, yellow-brick building received a fresh coat of black paint, providing a blank canvas for a planned series of murals and adjacent Umbrella Alley.
According to Martin County Deputy Judge/Executive Carolea Mills, one of Judge Lon Lafferty’s initiatives is to clean up the towns, parks and county.
“We thought we needed to start here and clean up our surroundings that we are responsible for,” Mills said in an interview.
The idea to transform the old jail sparked while cleaning up after a recent fire in the historic courthouse. Officials discovered a potential tourism gold mine – a long overlooked alley between the jail and the historic courthouse where an umbrella alley could repurpose and breathe new life into the county. However, there was one problem with that.
“It’s attached to an old jail, and that’s not really attractive,” said Mills.
To overcome this issue, the deputy judge successfully secured a Walmart grant for paint and enlisted the help of ARO volunteers for labor. She is also receiving support from the City of Inez and the Martin County Tourism Commission.
“We have a lot of vacant buildings and we just really want to beautify,” said Mills. “This is one way to make a huge impact for little cost. And that’s what we have to do – be resourceful with what we have.”
The rejuvenation project includes several exciting features. A ‘building wrap’ – a high-end, long-lasting photograph – is set to welcome visitors on the Holy Street side of the old jail, depicting local landmarks like horses, elk, trails and the Warfield railroad bridge. The alley side will showcase murals by local artists, creating photo-worthy backdrops and interactive experiences for visitors.
“We want Martin County to look alive and showcase our beauty,” Mills said.
The deputy judge also mentioned upcoming events that promise to invigorate the local scene, like the Appalachian Artist Festival set for Aug. 4 and the Harvest Festival set for Sept. 15-16 in Inez.
The grand unveiling of Umbrella Alley will occur during the Appalachian Artist Festival.
“It’s looking great. We’re so excited to see what’s coming,” said Mills. “It will look wonderful with Umbrella Alley.”
The revitalization project is garnering widespread community support. The Appalachia Reach Out volunteers from Spiceland, Indiana, and Richardson, Texas, lent their hands and hearts to the painting work. One such volunteer, Josh Robertson from Indiana, expressed his excitement for the project and satisfaction in serving the community.
“It’s been fun to be here and serve the community,” Robertson said. “This is our second year coming down here with ARO. We’ve enjoyed helping out and hopefully it’s a blessing to the community.”