Historic Occoquan finalist in Prettiest Painted Places in America contest

Historic Occoquan is one of 10 finalists from the country’s southeast region in the Paint Quality Institute’s 2012 “Prettiest Painted Places in America” national competition.

One of the towns nominated by Discover Prince William & Manassas, the area’s tourism marketing agency, Occoquan will now vie for the top honor, which will be announced in the next few weeks.

“We are thrilled competition officials recognized this beautiful hidden gem along the Occoquan River,” Discover Prince William & Manassas Executive Director Ann Marie Maher said. “The merchants and residents of the community work hard to maintain their historic buildings and charm and it’s one of the reasons why thousands come to visit Occoquan annually.”

The search for America’s prettiest painted places began in the Spring when the Paint Quality Institute called for nominations and received almost 200 from historic districts, neighborhoods and Main Streets across the country.

In September, judges with expertise in color selection, exterior painting and home improvement reviewed entries and selected 60 finalists, 10 from each of six geographic regions. Twelve national winners-two from each region-will be announced in October.

Other southeast region finalists include downtown Bowling Green, Kentucky; Gulf Shores, Alabama; Historic Oakwood in Raleigh, North Carolina; Key West, Florida; Old Louisville, Kentucky; Old Town Alexandria, Virginia; Paducah, Kentucky; Selma (Ward 3), Alabama; and Historic Downtown Smithfield, Virginia.

According to Debbie Zimmer, a paint and color expert for the Paint Quality Institute, the competition recognizes the places that use paint to express pride in their communities and highlights how an attractive paint treatment can enhance the curb appeal of virtually any home or building.

This is the Paint Quality Institute’s third Prettiest Places in America competition. The first took place in the 1990s and another was held in 2000.