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On a Personal Note: Jimmy Harris

Jimmy Harris. Photo courtesy of The Transylvania Times

Brevard’s Former Sidewalk Mayor

By Emma Castleberry

Jimmy Harris was the mayor of Brevard for 22 years and last year, he chose not to run for another term and passed the torch to Maureen Copelof. Known to many as the “Sidewalk Mayor,” Jimmy’s years of service were crucial in transforming Brevard from a small, quiet town into a WNC destination. But if you ask him about this transformation, he’d say his role was small, if not irrelevant. “I’ve always believed we stand on the shoulders of the people that came before us,” he says. “Government had nothing to do with where we are located. We’re at the center of the forests. I’d love to be the person who rode in on a white horse and said, ‘Here’s Brevard.’ I’d love to take credit, but I can’t.”

Jimmy Harris. Photo by David Jensen

What he can take credit for is the fact that, before his first term as mayor, Brevard didn’t have a single inch of hike and bike trail. “People before me established that they wanted it,” he says, “but it hadn’t been made. Now, we have bought right-of-way and there are over five miles of bike hike trail in Brevard, whereas 22 years ago there was nothing.”

Jimmy says his community is the whole package: abundant waterfalls, clean and walkable streets, a great school system. In his view, he was set up for success as mayor. “Everything about it makes it a great place to raise a family,” he says. “I wanted to be a part of something that good.” The challenge was managing Brevard’s growing population and recreational potential without ruining its quaint, small-town charm. “I never wanted Brevard to change so drastically that people didn’t recognize it,” he says.

Another one of Jimmy’s accomplishments as mayor was the creation of the Bracken Mountain Preserve, a 400-acre recreation area on the west side of town. “The City owns the land, but it’s on the mountainside and we needed a right-of-way to get to it,” he remembers. The city was in danger of losing the property without this access, so Jimmy used his people skills to save the day. He called the property owners and flew to NYC to negotiate with them on behalf of the City.

This trip is a favorite memory for Mac Morrow, who served with Jimmy on the city council for more than 20 years. “He and I were in NYC to strike a deal to establish the Bracken Mountain Preserve,” Mac says. “Being a country boy, I wasn’t aware of that city’s traffic, and I stepped off a curb at a traffic light to be immediately pulled back by Jimmy as a bus narrowly missed me.”

Mac’s stories of Jimmy’s accomplishments and leadership are nearly endless. “He helped foster a vibrant downtown and a sustainable tourism-based economy after the three large manufacturing plants closed,” Mac says. “He led the effort to create the Sylvan Industrial Park from an abandoned city parking lot with collaboration from Transylvania County and the Golden Leaf Foundation. His Gallimore Sidewalk and Safe Route to Schools initiative kicked off public support for over five miles of Estatoe Greenway, including two connections to the Pisgah National Forest. A proponent of environmental stewardship, he led over $20 million in sewer upgrades including the Neely Road Wastewater Improvement Project that earned the City the 2018 Engineering Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina.” In his acceptance speech for that award, Jimmy said, “If you take your vitamins, brush your teeth and say your prayers, you too could live in Brevard.” The crowd roared with cheers.

While his legacy lives on in Brevard in a very tangible way, it’s Jimmy’s spirit that people seem to remember the most. He runs the Harris Hardware store on Main Street, and he was always available with a listening ear. “As a politician, that’s what you have to do most often is listen to people,” he says. “Always go with your heart.”

Harris Hardware is located at 87 West Main Street in Brevard.

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