Our across-the-River friend Blake Wintory from Lakeport Plantation sent me this screenshot of Jackson’s Petroleum Building as seen in the recent PBS American Experience documentary “Freedom Riders.”

This was in response to the last paragraph in my post on the too-early demolition of the Trailways Station, in which I said:

Speaking of Modernism and old friends, you might have also caught  in the documentary during the footage of the freedom riders being loaded into the wagon, a glimpse of the Petroleum Building across the street and its folded plate (or was it wavy?) entrance awning. I wish I could find a screenshot of it, but you should watch the film anyway for the amazing story it tells and the video footage and photographs that bring it all to life.

Looking at the screenshot, I see it’s a folded plate awning, but who cares about the awning when you can look at those interesting fin-like brackets holding it up? And then mentally add color, as we know those panels below and surrounding the windows were. You could do worse than taking your architectural inspiration from 1950s American automobiles.

Bonus points to whoever can tell us what restaurant’s sign is hanging off there to the right?

PS–Don’t forget that the East/Central Mississippi poll ends at midnight or so tonight–Meridian’s Vise Clinic still leads, but Raymond has pulled out all the stops and hold several top slots.

Categories: Civil Rights, Jackson, Modernism, Recent Past