(NEWS RELEASE) Many Western towns labor to restore historic government buildings. Florence, Arizona, has doubled its efforts—working to renovate two 19th-century courthouses and give each a new use. The courthouses are just two projects of many undertaken in Florence as the town celebrates and maintains its past.
That’s why Florence is #2 among True West Magazine’s 2010 Top 10 True Western Towns. Virginia City, Nevada, won the top award. The True Western Towns will be featured in the January/February 2010 issue, at newsstands on January 6, 2010.
Florence utilized Arizona Lottery funds to restore the 1876-95 Silver King Hotel, a job completed in 2009. The building is now a marketplace for various small businesses. Up next: the 1916 Florence High School, which will be repurposed to house the local school district office.
To help guide visitors, Florence has also updated its walking tour for modern times—it is now offered as an audio tour, which shares the stories of the 29 historic sites downtown.
“Florence is a remarkable place,” says True West Executive Editor Bob Boze Bell. “Local folks are using their history to help build a great future for the town.”
True West editors determine winners for this annual award based on criteria demonstrating how each town has preserved its history through old buildings, museums and other institutions, events and promotions of historic resources.
The feature includes Towns to Watch for their good works in historic preservation and several legendary locales that folks should know.
True West magazine is in its 57th year of leading the way in presenting the true stories of Old West adventure, history, culture and preservation. For subscriptions and more information, visit twmag.com or call 888-687-1881.
