Our History

Building stronger communities together for four decades

$8.8 billion reinvested, 7,131 businesses opened,
36,078 jobs created, and 2,046 buildings rehabilitated.

In 1978, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of America’s important architectural resources, established the Main Street Program.

The California Main Street Program was established in 1986 within California's state trade and commerce organization, which became the cabinet-level California Technology, Trade and Commerce Agency in 1992.

An initial cohort of fifteen “Demonstration Cities” were accepted into the first three years of the program with more added each year. By July 1987, there were 19 cities in the program.

A 2001 survey report of California Main Street communities, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, showed dramatic economic improvements for downtown areas. Of those communities in the program seven years or more, the net number of businesses in the main street areas increased by 24%, the net number of jobs increased by 31%, retail sales increased by 105%, and commercial property values increased by 167%

In 2002, a group of Main Street Executive Directors formed the California Main Street Alliance (CAMSA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to fundraise and support the program.

When the program was eliminated along with the state’s Trade and Commerce agency in 2003, CAMSA, with the help of the California Preservation Foundation, and Californians for Preservation Action, helped to re-establish the Main Street Program within the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in August 2024.

In 2018, to build greater capacity and support for the program, the National Main Street Center partnered with CAMSA and is the current administrator of the statewide Main Street program. In 2021, the California Main Street Alliance changed its name to California Main Street (CAMS).

The California Main Street Program is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2026 with over 75 cities served.