As the downtown business district of Badin undergoes a facelift, a group of citizens are planning to broaden the focus. Better Badin’s Promotion and Marketing Committee met this month to discuss ways to promote the residential district. These volunteers are committed to the growth and improvement of public relations, to improving state and national awareness of this historic  village, to utilizing the assets the area offers and to renewing interest in Badin as a unique ‘cottage town’ in rural North Carolina. 

Encouraging community spirit is high on the agenda: getting citizens to take pride in their unique village, cleaning up yards and encouraging neighbors to do the same, being active in the community and Better Badin, and encouraging friends and acquaintances to visit the town and its surrounding amenities. 

Events are in the planning stages.  The June triathlon brings athletes from across the state. The committee feels this is a great opportunity to show off the town with a proposed  tour of homes and gardens. 

A yard sale is proposed for the spring and the Best of Badin Festival for the fall.

Better Badin's Promotion and Marketing Committee

Committee members shown above are clockwise from upper left David Harris, Bill Harwood, Dean Hopper and Vanessa Mullinix.

“With help and encouragement from the local community, we can accomplish many of our goals,” says committee chairman, David Harris. “We want to see this wonderful town flourish and become a place to be in North Carolina. Many of the things we take for granted everyday are unique to Badin and Stanly County. Let’s share them!”

Residents and friends of Badin who turned out for the February Poor Man’s Supper showed their community spirit with donations to Better Badin’s Neighborhood Improvement Fund. Unfortunately, less than 100 out of the town’s 1,100 residents attended. Better Badin, a group long on spirit but short on volunteers, is dedicated to revitalizing Badin. It was instrumental in the town’s incorporation, initiated the annual Best of Badin Festival, formed the local museum and was active in the recent Small Town Main Street Project. They deserve our thanks and they deserve more support than they are receiving from Badin residents.

OOPS! Moving the Museum

On a pleasant evening in May 1999, a crowd gathered on the corner of Falls and Maple where the old Badin kindergarten sat high on steel beams. Jim Moore threw his tractor into gear and the 83-year-old building inched forward. Suddenly, one of the tiny supporting wheels collapsed. The building tilted alarmingly. The crowd gasped. Minutes ticked by as the building was jacked up, the wheel replaced and the snail’s pace progress continued.

The 15’ X 50’ one-story frame building had outgrown its usefulness to Alcoa, and the company had given it to the town on condition it was moved off Alcoa property. Its new home was to be the town park and its new title: Badin Museum.

“This is a big day,” said David Summerlin, a member of the newly-formed Badin Museum Committee and an avid collector of Badin memorabilia. “I’ve dreamed of this for a long time.”

Anne and Tom Garrison felt their emotions tug. Their relationship leading to a long and happy marriage had begun here as kindergarten children. Tom pulled out a faded photograph of himself and his twin brother, Jim, a pair of five-year-olds standing in front of the building dressed as elves. 

By the time the building was eased on to its new foundation, dusk had fallen. The final work would wait until morning.

Subscriptions to the Badin Villager are now available. To begin your subscription  please contact William Harwood at P. O. Box 682, Badin, NC 28009. A one-year subscription of 12 issues is $12.00.

Badin now has a blog site where residents and friends of Badin can communicate their thoughts on life in our small town. You’ll find the Badin Villager, breaking news, a photo gallery, local history, an occasional video, and links to other local sites. Your comments are welcome.

Badin officials are preparing for the next stage of downtown renovation. Tree plantings are planned for the south side of Falls Road and at Lee and Roosevelt Streets in West Badin.  The next stage of the Town Hall’s façade renovation will take place within the next two weeks.