Mississippi has lots of abandoned places, maybe not as many as a place like Detroit, but still, the movement of population in our state has created a lot of ghost towns and places bereft of people. It’s the opposite problem in the suburbs of Jackson, where there’s been a huge influx of people in the last 20 or 30 years. Many historic buildings and farmlands have disappeared, replaced by subdivisions purporting to be Arcadian.
Today will be the start of an occasional series called Abandoned Mississippi, and for our inaugural post, the Mississippi School for the Blind:
School for the Blind campus, view from I-55, Jackson
Administration Building, School for the Blind, rear elevation, natatorium to left
I believe this is the second location of the School for the Blind (the first was located where Baptist Hospital is now), and it was originally a white school–the school for black students was on Capers Drive just north of West Capitol and I believe the campus is still there although used as some sort of detention center. The School for the Blind has now consolidated with the School for the Deaf on the south side of Eastover Drive, leaving this campus on the north side of Eastover Drive pretty much abandoned and deteriorating.
The administration building, out in front of the campus and facing the interstate, was built in 1949, designed by Jackson firm Drummond & Christian in association with Hattiesburg firm Landry, Matthes, Olschner & Associates. The dorms and vocational building to the east of the admin building (you can see one of the dorms to the right in the upper photo) I think were designed by Emmett Hull (the husband of Marie Hull the artist and cousin of E.L. Malvaney) late in his career. I love this campus for its cubist approach–all sorts of intersecting volumes and boxes, and that amazing red brick section on the south end (it houses an indoor pool) with the steel windows wrapping all the way around. It’s so mid-century Modern it can’t help itself–very cool and angular. Unfortunately, I think the developers have big plans for the land once the state sells it to them. Does anyone else love this campus or is it just me?
I don’t usually have good “before” pictures for many of the abandoned buildings I see, but in this case, there’s a wonderful series (Series 2233 for those who simply must know) at the state archives with photos of this school–here’s some to show you what the campus was like when it had its people:
School for the Blind, c.1955--working farm taught vocational skills
School for the Blind, c.1955: the natatorium (red brick section on south end)
The natatorium when it was new and shiny
Next time you’re flying northbound on I-55, as you come up to the Meadowbrook exit, look over to your right, and give this interesting campus a second look.
Yes, I love it, too! And thank you for this; I was just trying to find out last week who had designed these buildings (all I came up with was Hull for the dorms).
The stars must be in alignment on this post–everyone seems to be looking for info about the School just now.
What luck! 2 days after you post pictures of the MS School for the blind, I decide to do some research on it for my family tree!
I believe my grandfather was a student here (most likely at the first campus, though). Do you have any more information on the school’s history? Unfortunately, I live about 1,000 miles away and can’t visit the state archives myself. Any info anyone can provide would help fuel my research!
thanks in advance!
Well, that just proves that I can, in fact, read minds even at a great distance :–)
I think I know of some pictures and maybe a little historical information about the first location, but I’m not near my research stash until the weekend, so I’ll get back to you with what I find when I get back into town. If I don’t have anything, you can always contact MDAH and give them a research question. I think they charge $15 for an hour of research for those living out-of-state.
JMO, just wanted to make sure you knew I had posted some pictures of the old Institute for the Blind at http://misspreservation.com/2009/07/15/lost-mississippi-institute-for-the-blind-jackson/
It appears that the campus will be disappearing. At least I don’t see evidence of the old in the presentation video fo the District at Eastover…
http://www.ddg-usa.com/Projects/SS-MM_Eastover/Project.html
While I like the project, I wonder how much of the old campus will survive. Probably not much. Thoughts?
Thanks for sending this link. There was an article in the Clarion Ledger about it today with a picture of this model, and you’re right, I don’t think anything of the campus will survive if this development gets off the ground. Strangely the article mentioned specifically that the old superintenden’ts house–probably the smallest building on the campus–will be torn down, but didn’t say anything about the other buildings. Nothing in the model bears any resemblance to the school or dorm buildings.
It makes me sad because I’ve grown to appreciate this campus and I wish others (i.e., those with power and money) could also appreciate it and find a way to develop it with new buildings interspersed with the old and preserve this piece of Mississippi history. Actually, I’ve heard lots of pie in the sky development plans that never got moving, so I’m adopting a wait and see attitude toward this one as well.
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