A storm seems to be headed our way – maybe.  Those of you closer to the coast, take the proper precautions and stay safe.

Here’s the preservation news that made the rounds this week:

Starting off in Natchez, The Democrat reports that there are questions from City leaders about the status of the fines leveled on Arlington.  Part of the confusion is over what exactly is due – the City thought the fines totaled $48,000 while the judge in the case reported to the Council that it was only $2,500 for the grass cutting done by Public Works.  From the story, it sounds like the City is very interested in sorting out the confusion and aggressively seeking fines due on the historic property.

Moving to Biloxi, the latest news on the White House Hotel is that the City has told the current owner to stabalize it or tear it down.  Seems like they are done with granting extensions (which they were doing while new ownership was being sought) – and I don’t think that bodes well for the building.

Moving to Houston Mississippi, their city leaders are also looking at problematic buildings in their downtown.  They recently requested two downtown property owners to bring their buildings (which are located in the Courthouse Square area of town) up to code.  One has been working on his building, but has had some trouble keeping workers on the job.  The other was not happy to receive the notice and wanted the city to leave him and his tenet alone.  Maybe someone should talk about the Tax Credit benefits of the National Register . . . that might help give the property owners some incentives to fix up their buildings and the City will have the nicer downtown they desire.

A story from Hinds County (Clinton Area) is that during some foundation work for a new building, a small cemetery dating back to the 1830s was discovered.  Working with archeologists from MDAH and Mississippi State, the four burials discovered will be studied before being re-interred at a cemetery similar in age.

Mississippi wine lovers will have to watch a project in Greenwood.  The story there is that a couple has purchased the city’s oldest fire station with hopes of turning it into a winery.  Their plans include restoration according to MDAH and Secretary of the Interior’s Standards – so it sounds like a pretty creative adaptive reuse tax credit project.  Wine is not my forte, but I would love to see how the project turns out.

A recent story out of Washington, DC caught our attention this week too.  The US Capitol is in need of repairs – but a lack of funds means that we don’t know when the buildings cracks (1,300 at least according to the New York Times) and leaks will go unrepaired for a while.  Some appropriations bills and short-term spending bills have been talked about, but, of course, the political climate will play a factor in when/if anything is done.

Categories: Biloxi, Clinton, Cool Old Places, Greenwood, Gulf Coast, Historic Preservation, Houston, MS Dept. of Archives and History, Natchez, News Roundups