LJWORLD.COM

GREENSBURG — This town is famous for having the world’s largest hand-dug well and the world’s largest pallasite meteorite.

But it’s another tourist attraction, not those claims to fame, that is bringing folks across the globe to Greensburg.

Take a drive in a tour bus through the streets of Greensburg, which was nearly wiped off the map by a tornado two years ago. Yes, you’ll see lingering effects of devastation, but, more importantly, something else — a town being rebuilt as a model green community.

Look inside the town’s new eco-home, which features ideas like energy-efficient heating and air conditioning, water-efficient toilets and a garden on the roof. Tour the art center, eat at one of the local restaurants or shop at the business incubator — all places using environmentally friendly technology.

“So many people are interested in what is going on here,” said Greensburg resident Susan Reinecke.

She and her husband, Scott, who ran an auto body shop in town before the tornado, opened Studio 54 — a glass art studio and gallery — a few months ago in the business incubator on Main Street. For several months, they didn’t know if they wanted to stay or open a business in a town ravaged by a tornado. Now, folks from New York, England and Australia are setting foot in the store.

Across the nation, people have tuned in to Planet Green’s television documentary, she said. They want to see the town for themselves. READ MORE