Tourists exploring Laurel, Miss., typically start with Laurel Mercantile Co., the Scotsman General Store & Woodshop and the Scent Library candle shop, retail stores owned by HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier. The Napiers have helped transform the town into Mississippi’s “Mayberry,” showcased on their program “Home Town.”
Laurel wasn't always so lovable. In the mid-2000s, surrounded by crumbling and shuttered buildings, a handful of local government and civic leaders championed change. Laurel Main Street, a consortium of local businesses, was formed in 2007 with a mission to revitalize a city once home to thriving timber and textile industries, brick manufacturing and other enterprises.In 2008, the Napiers—fresh out of college and newly married—moved back. Downtown Laurel was dead.
The town has helped businesses to take advantage of the new attention, says Burks, who also owns Guild and Gentry, an upscale men’s apparel store and barbershop. "We try to be a resource to business and building owners, helping with things like licenses and building permits.” So far, Shepard says she has about 200 clients and has helped three young women get their braiding licenses, a state requirement. Nonetheless, she wishes more business resources were available for entrepreneurial women and people of color. “I want to bridge the gap and let my people know that we belong, too,” she says.
To Magee, the biggest challenge is attracting more people to move to Laurel, not just visit. The city currently has about 17,000 residents and has been shrinking since 1960, when the census tallied 28,000 residents. And Laurel’s subpar school district may make it difficult to attract families with young children.