Author Archives

Thomas J. Rosell lives on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and has had an interest in preservation for twenty years. He has been lucky enough to work in different aspects of the field for the past ten years. His current area of focus is materials conservation, but he has worked in archival, interpretive, and building restoration arenas as well.

• Big doings in the Hub City

  By Thomas Rosell on November 15, 2012 • ( 11 )

  

  Right now two major adaptive reuse projects are underway in Hattiesburg. Two “skyscrapers,” the Carter & Ross buildings are being converted into loft apartment and retail space. I don’t think downtown Hattiesburg has had this much growth since these buildings… Read More ›

• Architects’ Homes: Carl E. Matthes Jr., Hattiesburg

  By Thomas Rosell on November 8, 2012 • ( 5 )

  

  In the last feature of “Architects’ Homes” we saw Carl Matthes Sr. remodeled home in Biloxi; with today’s featured residence we get to see the house that his son lived in and quite possibly designed.  Carl E. Matthes Jr.‘s (1927-1964)… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Vermiculated & Vomitory

  By Thomas Rosell on November 2, 2012 • ( 19 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week! If you want to check out any previous words you can do that here.  As always we have some of our example photographs come from the MDAH Historic Resources Inventory Database…. Read More ›

• Historic Cemetery Tours

  By Thomas Rosell on October 29, 2012 • ( 2 )

  If you ‘re looking for some spooky fun with a historical twist this week you are in luck.  Four cemeteries in Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area are offering tours with grave side re-enactments.  To learn more about the Biloxi,… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Undercut Gallery

  By Thomas Rosell on October 26, 2012 • ( 5 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week! If you want to check out any previous word you can do that here. As always our example photographs come from the MDAH Historic Resources Database. This week’s word might sound… Read More ›

• Architects’ Homes: Carl E. Matthes Sr., Biloxi

  By Thomas Rosell on October 9, 2012 • ( 1 )

  

  We’ve featured several architects’ homes here on MissPres, with the most recent being the Jackson residence of Emmett J. Hull.  Today’s featured residence might be the first house featured that is neither still standing, nor was built by the architect… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Terrazzo

  By Thomas Rosell on October 5, 2012 • ( 16 )

  

  This week’s word is brought to you by the letter T as defined by William J. Hornung’s Architectural Drafting:

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Scagliola

  By Thomas Rosell on September 21, 2012 • ( 6 )

  

  Its time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week! Our word this week is one spicy meatball of a word that comes all the way from Italy. It is is brought to you by the letter S as defined… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Return

  By Thomas Rosell on September 7, 2012 • ( 4 )

  

  I hope every one has made it through Isaac well.  I don’t ever remember a storm lasting nearly so long, and it looks like we might have the spawn of Isaac becoming a Tropical Storm…. but its time for another… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Quatrefoil

  By Thomas Rosell on August 24, 2012 • ( 3 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week. As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here. This week’s word is a Gothic and Renaissance (both original and revival) architecture staple, but… Read More ›

• Hurricane Camille 43rd Anniversary

  By Thomas Rosell on August 18, 2012 • ( 4 )

  

  It’s hard to believe that it’s been 43 years since Hurricane Camille. Follow this link to the Camille 30th Anniversary study compiled by the University of Colorado Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences Center for Science and Technology Policy… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Pilaster

  By Thomas Rosell on August 10, 2012 • ( 7 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week. As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here. Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have? This week’s… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Onion Dome

  By Thomas Rosell on July 27, 2012 • ( 10 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week. As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here. Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have? This week’s… Read More ›

• Uncredited Mississippi: Forest Heights, Gulfport

  By Thomas Rosell on July 25, 2012 • ( 2 )

  

  In my car I keep a copy of A Field Guide to American Houses by Virginia and Lee McAlester. It comes in handy when I have some time to spend while waiting for an appointment or if I am out… Read More ›

• Happy 110th Birthday Electromechanical Cooling!

  By Thomas Rosell on July 17, 2012 • ( 10 )

  Happy 110th Birthday Electromechanical Cooling!  a.k.a. Air Conditioning!  Mississippi is indeed indebted to Willis Carrier.  So when you step out of the heat into some cool air be sure to thank Mr. Carrier.

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Nogging

  By Thomas Rosell on July 13, 2012 • ( 4 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week. As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here. Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have?  Our images… Read More ›

• Happy 4th Y’all

  By Thomas Rosell on July 4, 2012 • ( 5 )

  

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Mushroom Capital

  By Thomas Rosell on June 29, 2012 • ( 8 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week. As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here. Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have? While only… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Lally Column

  By Thomas Rosell on June 15, 2012 • ( 8 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week.  As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here.  Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have?  This week… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Kneeler

  By Thomas Rosell on June 1, 2012 • ( 6 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week.  As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here.  Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have?  This weeks… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Jerkinhead Gable

  By Thomas Rosell on May 18, 2012 • ( 17 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week.  As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here.  Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have?  This week’s… Read More ›

• A Little Contest: Like a Ton of (Concrete) Bricks

  By Thomas Rosell on May 11, 2012 • ( 2 )

  

  So this morning we had a mini contest about a material that is on the primary facade of a building on 28th Avenue in downtown Gulfport.  All the answers were pretty spot on but the answer that contained all the… Read More ›

• A Little Contest

  By Thomas Rosell on May 11, 2012 • ( 11 )

  

  A while back at Preservation In Pink Kaitlin had a little quiz to identify a specific material, which turned out to be plaster scored to give the appearance of ceramic tile.  I thought that it would be fun to have… Read More ›

• Progress in Haiti

  By Thomas Rosell on May 5, 2012 • ( 2 )

  Back in 2010 Malvaney ran a post entitled Paying it forward to Haiti.  Recently Architectural Record posted an article regarding the restoration of the Iron Market in Port-au-Prince, Haiti which, once you’ve seen the images of the structure after the… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Imbrex

  By Thomas Rosell on May 4, 2012 • ( 13 )

  

  Time for another MissPres Architectural Word of the Week.  As we move right along through the alphabet, you can check out our past words here.  Have you been keeping an eye out for these elements like I have?  While last… Read More ›

• MissPres Architectural Word of the Week: Hyperbolic Paraboloid Shell

  By Thomas Rosell on April 20, 2012 • ( 15 )

  

  With this week’s word we will be launching from Hancock County’s Stennis Space Center to some out of this world shapes!  While our word is really a three-word phrase, it is the best way to describe some of our State’s… Read More ›

• What is Rock Lath?

  By Thomas Rosell on April 19, 2012 • ( 2 )

  

  Have you ever seen a material attached to a wall that looked like drywall but maybe had some holes in it and possibly some plaster stuck to one side?  It’s possible you never have.  The material is called Rock Lath and… Read More ›