Over the last few years, Hendersonville has become one of the most popular relocation destinations around. Friendly people, outstanding schools, great shopping, dining and recreational opportunities combine to create a quality of life that is unparalleled in most cities its size.
Along with its other positive attributes, Hendersonville is also a very attractive community. From the shores of Old Hickory Lake to expansive park lands, the city is blessed with natural scenic beauty.
However, keeping up the city’s pleasing curb appeal does not happen automatically. It requires constant diligence and a lot of hard work. One of the people who understands this fact is Kathy Paschal, chairperson of Beautiful Hendersonville.
“Beautiful Hendersonville is special city committee whose mission is to develop and promote community awareness and involvement in beautifying and maintaining Hendersonville through education, litter prevention, aesthetic maintenance and improvements,” says Kathy. “The committee was originally founded in the 1980s, but it became dormant over time. The Mayor and Board of Aldermen reconstituted it three years ago as a volunteer committee, and we have been busy since then.”
Since its rebirth, Beautiful Hendersonville has had a significant impact all across the city. The seven-member committee, working in tandem with city personnel and community volunteers, has accomplished numerous projects that have improved Hendersonville’s appearance. Some of the groups most visible accomplishments have been painting the Main Street bridge that crosses Drakes Creek, upgraded the city’s Christmas wreaths and banners, rebuilt the Memorial Park gazebo and landscaped the surrounding area, distributed art-decorated trash containers around town, coordinated biannual citywide clean up days and conducted a special clean up event following the December 2023 tornado.
“We have worked really hard to try and improve our city’s image through our beautification efforts over the past three years,” says Kathy. “Our list of projects just keeps growing and growing, as does our city.”
While much of Beautiful Hendersonville’s work involves hands on activities, such as painting and pressure washing, there is also a strong educational component. Kathy and her team understand that the best way to build a community that cares about maintaining the city’s appearance is to start with its youngest citizens.
“We love to talk with young children about litter,” says Kathy. “We will be visiting twelve different elementary schools this spring to teach 3rd graders about what litter is, where it comes from, why it is bad for our community and how to prevent it. We also provide each student with custom vehicle litter bags for their parent’s vehicles as a reminder that preventing litter begins with each of us.”
Beautiful Hendersonville’s educational efforts also extend outside of schools and into the city’s neighborhoods. Each year, from April through October, the committee presents special beautification awards to citizens and businesses who have gone above and beyond to enhance the city’s appearance through personal property maintenance.
“We issue our awards based upon recommendations from the property owners’ neighbors,” says Kathy. “We also place special signs in the yards of their properties to serve as examples for the community.”
Although Beautiful Hendersonville has accomplished a lot in a short time, much work remains to be done. Kathy and her team are already actively planning new projects for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.
“We have several initiatives that we hope to accomplish in the coming months,” says Kathy. “Our plans include having a mural created to memorialize our city’s resilience after the tornado, hanging floral planters near the entrance to the Sanders Ferry Greenway, replanting the Japanese garden area in Memorial Park and clearing and cleaning up some of the city’s oldest cemeteries.”
Persons interested in becoming involved with Beautiful Hendersonville are encouraged to reach out directly to Kathy at beautiful@hvilletn.org.
“We have worked hard to try and improve our city’s image through our beautification efforts.”