Shepherdstown's temporary Market House Plaza pilot is set to begin soon, giving the community eight weeks to experience the space firsthand and see how it works.

Running from Labor Day, September 7, through October 31, the pilot will give the Town an opportunity to gather feedback and learn from the experience before even considering any longer-term decisions.

The pilot will test a flexible public gathering space around the Market House with the goals of improving pedestrian safety, supporting local businesses, and creating a more inviting place that folks could use to gather downtown. Plans include movable tables and chairs, lighted umbrellas, flower boxes, games, café lights, and a temporary performance area for occasional music, movies, and other activities.

Flexibility is central to the design. Nearly all furnishings can be moved, allowing the Town to adjust the plaza's footprint throughout the pilot and accommodate established community events and activities, including the Farmers Market and Community Club events, as well as various parades and gatherings sponsored by community groups during the pilot period.

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Working with the Farmers Market

The Shepherdstown Farmers Market will continue its regular Sunday operations throughout the pilot. On Sunday mornings, the plaza will be reduced to the areas alongside the Market House, leaving the space behind the building totally available for the Farmers Market as usual.

The Town will provide that same flexibility to accommodate other downtown activities, including loading and unloading at the War Memorial Building for the Legendary Book Sale (Sept. 18-27).

The Town will pay Experience Shepherdstown a stipend to organize music events and coordinate other programming during the pilot, beginning with an opening music event on Labor Day.

Plans also include the ongoing “First Friday” music, including one on October 2, two new “Second Saturday” music events on September 12 and October 10, and BooFest activities—with additional programming under consideration to be announced accordingly.

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Testing More Than the Plaza

The pilot will give the Town an opportunity to better understand whether folks would use a plaza space and how temporarily closing this portion of South King Street affects traffic, parking, deliveries, businesses, and everyday movement through downtown.

During the pilot, signage will indicate the South King Street closure at German Street, with a “No Thru Traffic” sign at South King and West New streets. Local traffic will continue to have access to the half-block between the plaza and Back Alley, including the existing accessible parking space at 105 N. King Street and the existing loading zone in front of 104 S. King Street.

Town staff will manage the pilot, including maintenance, trash collection, furnishings, and changes to the footprint when necessary.

Periodic conversations with residents, businesses, Experience Shepherdstown, leaders of the Farmers Market and the Community Club, and other stakeholders will provide additional opportunities to identify concerns and make adjustments along the way.

Ultimately, for eight weeks heading into fall, the community will have an opportunity to experience the idea for itself.

What the Town learns during that time—including what works, what doesn't, whether residents would use a plaza area, and what could be improved—will help inform the conversation about whether or not to move forward with creating a public plaza.

We look forward to bringing this pilot concept to downtown Shepherdstown and learning from the community’s experience with the space throughout the fall.

Thank You!