HOLYROOD — Holyrood received a good review when visitors from Cawker City came calling in October.

The splash pad. The park. Good streets. Neat lawns.

“They were impressed with the community and how it looked,” said Nadine Sigle, of K-State Research and Extension’s “First Impressions” program. In northwest Kansas, a region that includes Ellsworth County and its communities, the program has the support of the Logan-based Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

“First Impressions” takes communities with similar populations and has residents of those communities visit the other’s town to determine strengths and weaknesses. Several Ellsworth County residents visited Cawker City on the shores of Waconda Lake in December.

Both towns have fewer than 500 residents.

Given the program results and the town’s resources, Holyrood appears to be a progressive community, Sigle said.

“That’s a lot of work for a town this size,” she told about two dozen residents, including members of the Holyrood City Council.

Here are a few of the comments from the Cawker City residents about Holyrood:

• “I really thought that Holyrood had a good amount of nice looking houses. They looked nice from the outside with good looking yards. On the other hand, there were also many houses that looked to be in a deteriorating state. I noticed many houses with realty signs in the yard so it looked as though there were available places for people to buy homes if interested.”

• “Houses are nice. West end of town a newer addition but older homes are well kept. Yards were mowed and well kept.”

• “They had a small health clinic downtown. They had a very nice looking fire/EMS station.”

• “I thought they had a very nice park and splash pad. The yards seemed to be mostly clean and mowed.”

In answer to the question, “What will you remember most about this community six months from now?” the visitors pointed to the “nice” streets, children’s playground in the park, the splash pad and well maintained streets.

The visitors’ list of obstacles/challenges were similar to those faced by many rural communities:

• Lack of downtown business or business as a whole and job opportunities.

• No grocery store and keeping businesses in town.

• No overnight facilities.

• Closer to larger town, which provides better shopping and eateries.

Sigle, who encouraged the community to market itself more through an improved website and social media, said residents might think about joining the PRIDE program through the Kansas State Extension Service. PRIDE is aimed at community improvement.

Holyrood resident Jonathan Dahlke said the local Booster Club has a list of projects to accomplish, including the restoration of the town’s former city hall. However, more members are needed to help with the work.

He said volunteers have already been successful in the restoration of the town’s old railroad depot.

“It should have been burned and torn down. That’s how bad it was,” Dahlke said.

A group of residents also are working to raise enough money for a new building to replace the American Legion Hall that also served as a community center.