We’ve made it all the way to Friday but the fun isn’t over yet. W. White took a strong lead the first day and has continued to battle it out with JRGordon and martin seigrist for first. But don’t let this stop you from posting any knowledge you may have about the building featured here on MissPres as you will still get your name featured on the scoreboard for all the world to see!
martin seigrist racked up 2 points for correctly identified the Jackson City Hall just barely eking out JEB. But JEB also shared the buildings alternative use during the civil war as a hospital, to score a point. JRGordon picked up an extra point by correctly identifying the architect as Joseph Willis. Kathleen Jenkins and W. White both picked up a point for sharing information about the buildings past.
Jackson City Hall Jackson, MS c. 1854
I couldn’t fool JRGordon with the front door surrounds capitols of the Waverley Plantation in Clay County. crpiii, Kathleen Jenkins, and W. White all picked up the extra points
Waverley Plantation West Point vic. Clay County c. 1852
Current Standings
JRGordon: 10 points
W. White: 9 points
martin seigrist: 8 points
Kathleen Jenkins: 4 points
crpiii: 2 points
Tom Barnes: 1 point
Susan Allen: 1 point
Levi Weeks: 1 points
JEB: 1 points
Today’s First Challenge:
Categories: Architectural Research, Contest, Historic Preservation
Preservation in Mississippi 
Administration building USM; Link;circa 1925
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University of Southern Mississippi Administration Building, Hattiesburg.
R. H. Hunt architect
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Officially the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building, completed in 1930.
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Actually both Martin (where did his comment show up from, when I posted, mine was first) and I are wrong about the architect. Although R. H. Hunt did the USM campus master plan, the mostly forgotten Vinson B. Smith, Jr. designed the Admininstration Building. He listed it in his listing in the American School and University annuals under “Three buildings, Mississippi State Teachers College, Hattiesburg.”
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The Administration Building opened the same year as Fritzsche-Gibbs Hall (College of Health), Bennett Auditorium, and the Hub. I am not sure which of those buildings was designed by Smith or whether all three were designed by him. The Administration Building was constructed according to the campus plan of R. H. Hunt (which was done in 1910) but since I don’t have my copy of Chester Morgan’s campus history (which has the plan illustrated), I can’t say whether they followed Hunt’s design. Construction began in 1929 by Oden and Glenn Contractors of Hattiesburg at a cost of $141,000 and was completed in time for occupancy during the university’s 1930 summer session.
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The building underwent minor repairs in 1962 and then in 1995 was completely renovated to include a new electrical system, an elevator, and central heating and air conditioning. In April of 1996, in honor of his 21 years of service to Southern Miss as its president, the State Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning voted to name the structure for Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas. In April of 1999, the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building was formally dedicated. The original copper dome was replaced after damage from Hurricane Katrina. The dome and other parts of the roof (which is flat) damaged in the storm were replaced in 2006 for $300,000.
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Papyrus capitals…. building colloquially known as “the Dome”.
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Thanks for identifying the style of capital. I am surprised that none of the other capital styles were called out.
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The style is Beaux Arts and the building is one of 29 buildings on campus that make up the University of Southern Mississippi National Register District that was designated just last year.
The admin building itself was designated a Mississippi Landmark in 1986
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