Ok, mid-week in our little contest of architectural and historical knowledge, W. White has held on to an early lead, but the field is still close–it’s anybody’s game right now. W. White grabbed the lead on Monday by correctly identifying the Prentiss County Courthouse and adding information about it for an extra point. But then yesterday, I momentarily stumped everyone with my sly posting of Mount Holly, which looks alot like Ammedelle in Oxford. Much discussion ensued, in which I was accused, falsely, of pulling a fast one on my readers, which of course I would never do.
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Here’s how it stacks up after two rounds:
W. White: 3 points
Carunzel: 2 points
tsj1957: 2 points
doakley: 1 point
JRGordon: 1 point
Belinda: 1 point
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As you can see, there’s plenty of time for anyone in this list to tie it up today and run away with it tomorrow, or even come out of the blue to win it all and become our next Mississippi Preservationist Extraordinaire. And don’t forget I have a habit of throwing in a bonus round at odd hours of the day or night sometime during the week, so if you’re prepared, you can grab an extra point while no one is looking.
Quick, who knows what and where this building is?
Categories: Contest
Preservation in Mississippi 
Meridian City Hall
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Meridian City Hall
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EL, do posts go into some type of holding pattern. I’ve submitted an answer…but it isn’t showing. Not wining, just wondering.
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If you are commenting from a networked location where your IP address changes every time you log onto your computer, then you need to be sure to sign in when you want to comment. Otherwise, WordPress won’t recognize you and will send your comment to moderation–this is to keep the crazies out. Sorry!
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City Hall in Meridian
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City Hall in Meridian in Lauderdale County
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Architect, G.M. Torgenson, built 1920.
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Meridian City Hall. (didn’t show up before)
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Since tsj1957 and Carunzel tied with the correction answer at the same time, you both get a point. However, the architect was NOT Torgenson and it wasn’t built in 1920. Guess again y’all!
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Fine then, 1915.
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Huff!
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Okay, now I see your point about G. M. Torgenson not being the architect. Turns out you cannot design a building if you are dead.
G. M. Torgenson was born in 1840 and died in 1902.
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Yes, one of the many difficulties in being dead.
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The 1915 Meridian City Hall is falsely attributed to G. M. Torgenson because he designed the 1885 Meridian City Hall that I mentioned earlier.
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According to the National Register of Historic Places, the architects responsible for the Meridian City Hall are the firm of Hancock & McArthur as well as P. J. Krouse.
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Correct, although Hancock & McArthur were the builders. P.J. Krouse was the architect. The NR info combines architect and builder sometimes, confusingly.
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Finally, according to such illustrious sites as the City of Meridian and this one, P. J. Krouse was a busy man. He designed the Stewart M. Jones School in Laurel, the First Baptist Church in Poplarville, the Pearl River County Courthouse in Poplarville, and re-modeled the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Meridian.
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G. M. Torgenson designed the Meridian City Hall in 1915, probably why the terra cotta panels located to the left and right of the raised center section have the years “1840” and “1914” on them. Only the finest materials were used in the construction as evidenced by such things as mahogany window frames and terrazzo floors. Of course by the 1950s, those things were no longer new and modern and were replaced by aluminum frames and tile floors. 2008 saw the beginning of a restoration of the building. The lowered ceilings and terrazzo floors are being restored; somehow, I do not think the mahogany windows will be replaced.
The previous Meridian City Hall and Public Market was constructed in 1885. Despite being a tour de force of Victorian architecture, it lasted just 30 years.
That should be enough information.
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I’m afraid ol’ Gustav was long dead by 1915, but you’re right on the date and lots of other info, so a point for you, W! Did you know the building right off and just not get in quick enough to identify it first?
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G. M. Torgenson also designed the Grand Opera House of Mississippi (currently the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts) in Meridian.
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Follow-up: In fact, I see that WordPress moved the three first answers from tsj and Carunzel straight into spam, so I didn’t even see them, and they didn’t show up for regular readers either. Oh well, snafu, and you still both get a point for guessing (almost) simultaneously.
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Two points right?
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Why two points?
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‘Cause everyone else who correctly identifies the buildings gets two points [high, whiny voice].
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“The first person to state the name of the building, along with its location wins a point. Post answers in the comment area. The format of the answer must include the name and the town (they are all located within towns) or it won’t count. Those who complain about having to name the town will also be forced to name the county.”
“To make it more interesting, an extra point will be awarded to anyone who can add more information to the initial answer”
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Yeah!
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Wait, no! So why have people been getting two points for i.d.?
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I got two points for Name This Place 4.1 because I identified the Prentiss County Courthouse in Booneville and added the information that it was restored in 2007 by Belinda Stewart Architects. I am the only person so far to get two points in one day.
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Ok, kids, do I need to send you all to time out? I’m counting to 3.
No, W. White is right, as any former MS Preservationist Extraordinaire SHOULD know: you get a point for identifying the building and the opportunity for an extra point if you add info. If you don’t identify the building, you only have the opportunity for one point that day. Both Carunzel and tsj1957 are eligible for two points each today, but neither of you has contributed accurate information about the building, leaving all the really heavy lifting to poor ol’ W. White.
Oh wait, scrolling through and looking at times, I see that Carunzel was the first to give the correct date, so Carunzel you get two points. Although I should take away a point for whining. My parents always did and that strict discipline turned me into the fine upstanding person I am today.
All these different threads today has confused me somewhat, but I’m confident I’m back on track now.
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Wait, not to be mean, but I gave the correct date first, at 10:16. Carunzel did not correctly answer “1915” until 10:25.
Of course it is not being extremely mean, I’m sure there is more information that Carunzel can provide for an extra point.
Although, I have posted a lot of info today.
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Whoops, you’re right, W., and it’s not mean to defend your lead. Carunzel can still wow us with some other piece of information and create a tie for the lead, but like you say, you’ve put down lots of info. Good catch!
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Isn’t it two points for the first right answer?
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Nope–the person who correctly identifies the building first CAN get another point by adding (accurate) information about the building, but only gets one point for the id. Both you and Carunzel can still get another point if you can come up with some new fact to dazzle us all with, but as of right now, you both have one point for the day.
I may have to establish a Court of Appeals.
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I think I want to go to time out (I just got handed a new project!)
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Awww, don’t go to bed angry Carunzel–we still want you around!
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Wow – everyone needs a nap today.
EL – you stumped me today, but I like the postcard image rather than a photo – added to the challenge.
I heard from at least one reliable source (maybe more than one) that Meridian is working on a “mall” (open air/green spaces & monuments type – like in D.C., not the shopping type) in their Downtown Historic District – I would assume that City Hall would be one of the buildings that the mall would showcase.
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That seems like an awful idea. One of the great things about Meridian’s downtown is the lack of urban renewal, therefore the large amount of historic buildings and traditional downtown urban planning. In looking at the maps, many historic buildings would need to be demolished to create a mall. The only large area of land that would not have to be cleared of historic structures is the land used by the train tracks. To remove the train tracks for a mall area would be just as bad an idea as removing many historic buildings.
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JR, is this a plea for a point or just a topic of discussion? I’m trying to decide if rumors count as “information.”
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oh, and I also agree with W that downtown malls have been tried and tried and tried and other than DC, they just don’t seem to work. The City Hall is a grand building and I’m glad they want to showcase it, but not if it means tearing down chunks of downtown to do it.
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In order to try to gain another point, Terra cotta cornice was restored by Michael davidson, a Mason and husband of Belinda Stewart already mentioned this week, in the mid 90’s. Michael also worked on the Statue of Liberty restoration. Original wood windows were removed during a renovation in the 1960s and the mayor at that point chopped them up with an axe so they could never be used again (story told by Fonda Rush, preservation planner inthe 90s). So some people are just mean and ugly!
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Wow, one point for tsj1957 for showing once again how incredibly vicious small-city politicians can be. Oh, and also for that information about the terra cotta restoration. I don’t actually know whether that’s true or not, but you said it so confidently that I’m convinced! :-) Welcome to a tie!
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I think we’ve set a record for most comments on a post today, y’all, so congrats and drinks all around!
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If anyone is interested in seeing the original architectural plans for the Meridian City Hall, they are framed and on display in the MSU Architecture Branch Library. The two drawings are for the rear elevation and left side elevation. Both drawings are dated August 4, 1914. I do not know whether Krouse did both drawings but his name is both drawings. Judging by the age and condition of the two drawings, it is remarkable that both still exist. It appears that they were not taken care of for some time. I took pictures of both drawings but because of the angle and glare, they are fairly useless photos.
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Not trying to get points, but…
1. The original windows have been replicated with real mahogany windows that will be functioning.
2. The exterior has been recently restored and looks better than it has in decades. The bomb shelter-like concrete porte cocheres on each side of the building have been removed and the terra cotta has been restored and re-anchored to the building.
3. The interior is going through a large scale rehabilitation that will restore not only many of the original office spaces and third floor meeting hall, but will also restore much of the original fabric such as the marble risers to the second and third floors of the front grand staircase that were demolished when the elevator was installed, and much of the columns that the scagliola had been painted over.
4. The mall is underway and required the demolition of only two buildings between City Hall and the WWI monument. The two buildings were determined to be non-contributing to the NR District by MDAH. Obviously, this is not going to be a DC size mall.
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I forgot one. B.B. Archer of Meridian has the original drawings on velum. He has supplied a paper copy to MDAH in the Historic Preservation Division
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Thanks for setting us straight on the mall, Mingo–that’ll teach us to jump to conclusions. Since it will be kind of a mini-DC-mall, maybe they should move the mini-Washington Monument microwave tower from Madison.
So two copies of the drawings exist–one at MDAH in Jackson, the other (at least two pages) at MSU in the architecture library.
It sure seems like an exciting project, and one appropriate to this amazing building!
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Wait, you don’t mean that stylized Klansman, do you?
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Carunzel,
B.B. Archer? I would hope not.
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No, no, the Madison tower!
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Lol, I wondered who you were talking about too! Glad it wasn’t a person, and I’ve heard that called worse! Although come to think of it, “stylized Klansman” is pretty bad, and I don’t think I’ll be able to look at it the same way now.
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