Nestled thirty miles east of Cleveland along the wild and scenic Grand River, Downtown Painesville serves as the civic heart of Lake County and is a gathering place for people of all ages and walks of life. From charming Main Street shops to the roar of college football, Ohio’s most diverse small town offers something for everyone and is welcoming to all. The Downtown Painesville Organization (DPO) is a nationally accredited main street program. The mission of the organization is to build a strong future, while preserving our historic past. The program follows the 4 Point Approach of Organization, Promotions, Economic Vitality, and Design. The DPO works with local merchants to promote business and encourage economic growth. The Main Street approach to downtown revitalization was developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Trust saw an ever-escalating loss of historic commercial architecture and loss of community sense of history. To stop this trend, the trust began in 1977 to develop a model for downtown historic preservation. The process is a four-point approach to address organization, design, marketing, and business enhancement.