It started with a few sparkles on top of one building, but now much of downtown Brookhaven is aglow at night with lights lining rooftops and sides of buildings.

The lighting project, which started with the Brookhaven — Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce rooftop in June, was organized by the Brookhaven Trust, but that group was not alone in the endeavor.

Brookhaven Trust President Jason Snider said it has taken a lot of work and a lot of cooperation from various groups and business owners to make this project a reality.

“There has been a lot of volunteer efforts provided into getting this completed,” Snider said. “We wanted to ensure that the lights are classy and will last for years to come.”

The project has taken cooperation from individuals, organizations and business owners throughout downtown Brookhaven.

“It’s unreal how much communication is required to get something like this completed,” Snider said. “We’ve been working on this since the day after Christmas.”

Troy Jordan of Brookhaven Electric and Owen Junkin of Junkin Enterprises are implementing the project, and funding is coming from the Brookhaven Trust and Brookhaven Tourism Council along with business owners.

“The Brookhaven Trust, we wanted to install LED lights because it’s high efficiency and low maintenance,” Snider said. “But the downfall is they cost a lot on the front end. It’s $10 a foot to install the lights.”

The Tourism Council created a fund to maintain the lights, and Brookhaven Trust is paying for the lights going down the side of the buildings.

“We wanted to outline the rooftops and also the building itself,” Snider said.

Snider said the block around Janie’s Pastry Shop and Bakery is complete, and the block around The Inez should be completed soon, but there is more to come.

“Cherokee (Street) is on board and South Railroad (Avenue) is on board,” he said.

Snider said the businesses on the block around The Daily Leader are also on board with the project.

The Brookhaven Trust was founded in 1991 in an effort to promote cultural events in Brookhaven and preserve the local heritage. Since completing its first major project repairing the roof at the Mary Jane Lampton Auditorium at the Mississippi School of the Arts, the Brookhaven Trust has served to benefit several other buildings throughout the downtown area.