Preservation in Mississippi

Today we continue with our friend W.S. Hull’s 1909 report on the Governor’s Mansion. Yesterday, we learned a little bit about William S. Hull, one of Mississippi’s early native architects and brother of contractor Francis Blair Hull. In 1909, the Legislature hired W.S. Hull, by then a respected professional well-known regionally for his public buildings, to examine the Governor’s Mansion in response to a debate about whether to demolish the old building or maybe even sell the block it was on and move the governor’s residence to one of the fashionable new neighborhoods north or west of town.

Hull used his report espouse a third way, that of preservation, advocating a renovation of the building and an addition of a new rear wing that would be more comfortable for modern living. The language Hull uses to argue for history and preservation and beauty is not only instructive about the early preservation efforts in the state but is still relevant for many of today’s preservation issues.

Today’s segment shows that Hull was an original New Urbanist, arguing that the governor should be at the center of downtown activity, not removed from it to the leafy suburbs.

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A more desirable and practical location cannot be found and the State owns the grounds and the building. After a careful examination of the building I find that the troubles are surface troubles; partly from neglect and partly from atmospheric causes. There are exposed to view some things that must be renewed, the stone work and the windows most prominent, but there is no fundamental trouble. The brick walls need by little attention except paint, and there is not a decayed timber in the framework of the building. From the basement to the roof every beam, joist, plate or rafter, is as the day it was first put in. All are of red heart cypress, cut at a time when nothing but the best was used. If taken out and put in work exposed to the weather they would last twice as long as any bill of lumber that can be bought from the average saw mill of today. And in the esteem of mankind the building as an artistic composition will last twice as long as another that might be built by the average architect of today.

There are discomforts to the building as a winter habitation, inconvenience for the administration of household or State functions, and the placing of cheap wall paper on some walls in recent times finds its own accuser.

It is proposed that these troubles shall be remedied. When the house was built the convenient things of modern invention were unknown and there were negro slaves in abundance.

Ever since Vitruvius wrote his letters to Caesar the architects for all important buildings have been charged with other duties besides the modeling and the great Roman architect laid paramount stress upon the location where the monument was to be erected. Mississippi is instinct with hospitality. When the stranger comes the bread is buttered on both sides. The Governor’s mansion should be located that it will be typical of this hospitality. It should be upon the principal high way with large open spaces around it, thus, without the blare of trumpets, establishing the fact that there is welcome to the State. It should not be located in such a place that it will be subordinated to any other building. Without consulting city directories the traveler should know this is the Governor’s mansion. It should be the wide open gate way to the Commonwealth. Whatever his disposition the Governor cannot be a recluse, and the State will provide for him no hiding place, “far from the madding crowd.”

The Governor is a busy man. Let us see how the present location will aid him in his labors. He can enter the street car at the front door and reach the asylum for the blind, for the deaf mutes, for the insane; also the union depot, the old capitol, the new capitol, all of the banks and nearly all of the churches without changing cars. The Federal Court building and post office is across the street and the Circuit Court building a block away. For rapid transit to important points the site could not be improved. Citizens coming from all parts of the State, or visitors from the world at large, leaving the railroad station in a street car are left at the door.

The property upon which the mansion is located embraces an entire block and when the grounds are properly graded and all of the contemplated improvements made it will be a commanding view and bring admiration from all visitors. It furnishes opportunity for the State to widen the streets leading to the Capitol or ultimately clear out all interposing houses between it and the capitol, so that a grand view of that stately building can be appropriately displayed. The architect is expected to give practical advice because his is one of the most practical of all professions. The results of his labor represent in the main the accumulated wealth of the world. The vast wealth of the farmer is consumed from year to year, the products of all manufacture are worn out in a few years. The fisherman’s product is consumed from day to day, so it is that the architect builds the monuments and conserves the wealth, and by habit, association and training and imagination he finds the larger economies in forecasting events. No one at this time denies that the building of the new capitol has added millions to the wealth of Mississippi, yet there were some unimaginative people at the time the building was projected who thought the expenditure was a reckless waste. In all times and under all circumstances it has been shown that people who have helped themselves have had others to help them. Besides the pleasure and pride in adorning that which is your own it attracts others to you. The world wastes no time on a man who can do well and will not.

photo (1936) courtesy of Historic American Building Survey (HABS)

I stumbled on this report about the Governor’s Mansion recently and thought that it would be an interesting series for the MissPres readership. Prepared in 1909 by Jackson architect W.S. Hull, it apparently provided the basis for a decision by the Legislature to renovate the existing antebellum mansion instead of building a new residence outside of downtown, possibly in the fashionable and growing Belhaven area or out West Capitol street on the west side of the railroad.

Hull’s report not only addresses the details of how he would like to improve the existing site and renovate the old building, he also delves into the reasons for leaving the Governor’s residence downtown and preserving the mansion rather than building a new one. In doing so, he leaves us a record of the changes that have occurred to the Mansion–note to the squeamish, many of these wouldn’t pass muster with preservationists today–but also gives an excellent argument for preservation of historic and architectural landmarks of any generation. Perhaps as importantly, the report shows us his writing and thinking style, an insight into his character that is actually pretty rare in researching architects, who tend to leave their mark in brick and stone instead of words.

William S. Hull, born in 1848, was one of the first (possibly the first) “professional” architects native to the state, becoming a member of the Western Association of Architects (which later merged with the AIA) in 1887. W.S. Hull was the younger brother of Francis Blair Hull, who owned a lumber yard in Jackson and formed a construction company in the early 1870s. According to Dunbar Rowland’s Mississippi: Contemporary Biography (1907), F.B. Hull brought William into his construction business in 1876, and as William learned more about construction, he apparently became the designer for the firm. William and F.B. built lots of landmarks around the state, including the Tallahatchie County Courthouse at Sumner (1902), the Sharkey County Courthouse at Rolling Fork (1902), and Ayer Hall at what is now Jackson State University (1903-04).

Like many architects of the time, W.S. Hull did not receive any formal training that we know of, learning his skills by experience with his builder brother and reading books and journals, which he references throughout this report. I have a note, which I haven’t verified, that W.S. designed the Alabama building for Chicago’sColumbian Exposition in 1893, which, if true, would show the respect his work commanded regionally even without formal training behind it.

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To the Honorable Special Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives:

Governor's Mansion, 1904 Sanborn map

Gentlemen—The estimate submitted with this report includes the removal of every building, including the one-story rear extension of the mansion and excepting the main building, from the premises.

• The removal of all fences from the premises.
• The building of cement concrete sidewalks on three sides of the square.
• The building of cement walks around the building and three from it to the streets on three sides.
• The building of stone steps in these walks.
• The building of McAdam driveways.
• The grading of the entire lot and the planting in trees and grass.
• A complete renovation of the old building and the erection of a two-story and basement annex in the rear.

This is, as I understand, the work you directed me to perform. I have divided the estimate in three parts. First, grading, paving, removing and planting. Second, renovating the old building. Third, erecting the new annex.

The drawings and specifications will sufficiently describe the work so that they can be understoof, but they are only preliminary and not intended to be built by.

The detailed estimate sheet will show the cost under the three heads. The grading will be performed by bringing the lot to something like level and the cutting of driveways and the sodding of terraces. The driveways will be of McAdam and will enter from the east, north and west sides.

Governor's Mansion, 1914 Sanborn map, after W.S. Hull renovation was completed

The entrance on the east side will lead to and under a porte-cochere, which will be located mid-way of the combined building on the east side and from it with entrance to a spacious hall located between the two buildings. This driveway will continue to an exit on the north side. Another driveway will enter on the north with exit on the west. Carriages and wagons will be able thus to enter the square and reach all parts of the building except the south front and depart without making turns upon the premises. Each of the driveways will be made in the lines of a reverse curve. The concrete walks will be on th east, north and west sides of the square, around the building where not covered by the driveway and from the street to the entrances on each–Capitol, Congress and West streets.

The new annex will be designed upon the exterior to conform to the architecture of the old building. It will contain two stories and a basement, but the floor of the basement story will be above the level of the ground. This floor will be of concrete with an asphalt lamina [a waterproofing material] bedded in it to keep down all moisture. This story will contain kitchen, boiler room for steam heating and a fuel room between the two on the west side. A store room, pantry, cold storage room, trunk room and closet on the east side of the hallway between the two. A reinforced concrete ceiling over the kitchen, fuel room and boiler room. On the second story the entire east side will be the dining room. There will be two of them with grille and portieres dividing. A dumb waiter from the kitchen will serve each of the dining rooms. On the east side to the rear will be two servants rooms, and to the front will be a living room. A hall will extend between the east and west sides and a wall will extend across the hall separating the servants room from the front. The second floor will contain 4 bed rooms with center hall-way and bath room, lavatory, etc., for each room.

The entrance to the building from Congress street side will be into a spacious hall-way that intersects the hall-way extending north and south through the building. This will be the main stair hall although there will be a stair way in the rear hall extending from the basement to the second story. The stairway will be taken out of the hall of the old building. The main stair hall will be one of the features of the building, except for the stair platforms and some balconies it will be open up to the ceiling of the second story. The interior finish of the building will be of hard wood. The porte cochere will be supported with stone columns and will have reinforced concrete ceiling with a panel of prism glass. This ceiling will [form] the floor for a large balcony for the second story. Comfortable for sitting during the summer afternoons and evenings. All modern inventions that will make a comfortable home will be employed. If the Mistress of the Mansion should desire, she can set apart the old building for State occasions, functions and guests, and teh Governor and his family live in the new building. The specifications will describe the work to be done on the old building which will include new windows, granite steps, new lime stone stiffenings of floors, hard wood finish, some new mantels, tile hearths, removal of paper from walls and finish in fresco or colored tints. The old building has a basement story but it is 4 feet in the ground and I do not think it has served any useful purpose for years. It is damp and unwholesome. By the proper application of water proofing it can be made dry. But as there does not seem to be any use for it, and there is nothing historic about it that is apparent in the architecture except a big kitchen chimney with a spit, and as it would probably be better for the health I think if the cellar should be filled to grade level with the each and have so calculated. The successful carrying out of this work will add another charm to Mississippi’s civic institutions.