MARTINSVILLE — The renovation of the former Morgan County Courthouse has turned downtown Martinsville into a construction zone. The Worth The Walk initiative hopes to help surrounding businesses survive during the work.
The stamp card program from the Martinsville Chamber of Commerce, Visit Morgan County, and the City of Martinsville rewards people who shop at multiple downtown businesses. If a shopper visits five predetermined businesses in a week, they could win a $50 gift card to the local business of their choice.
"The longer the shops are here, the more sustainable they are," said John Badger, who owns the Martinsville Candy Kitchen. "People learn about them and they keep coming back to them."
In addition to the weekly giveaway, Worth the Walk will award a $500 gift card to a shopper on Small Business Saturday.
More than 25 businesses are participating in the Worth the Walk initiative, including the Fables and Fairy Tales bookstore right across the street from the former courthouse.
"Every once and a while, there's a loud bang, and you say, 'I wonder what's going on over there?'" said Fables and Fairy Tales manager Melissa Schmidt.
Schmidt said the bookshop is embracing the noise through social media advertisements and with part of its book selection.
"With some books, you can take the sounds of downtown Martinsville home with you," Schmidt said when referring to a children's book full of construction noises.
Work started on the former Morgan County Courthouse in July when the new Judicial Campus opened across Main Street. The former courthouse opened in 1859 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Street work is scheduled to last through Thanksgiving, and the $23 million renovation of the courthouse could finish in late 2026.
