In the Interregnum between Christmas and New Year’s we traditionally take time to list the year’s accomplishments in preservation, as well as our losses. Our scheduling is a little off this year due to the timing of Christmas early in the week, so hopefully we’ll get all our lists in before the end of the year.

Let’s get started with the list of new Mississippi Landmarks designated in 2012.

As we’ve noted before, “Mississippi Landmark” and “National Register” are sometimes confused, but they are two completely different programs to recognize historic properties. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, while the Mississippi Landmark designation is conferred by the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Dept. of Archives and History. The designating authority comes from the Mississippi Antiquities Act (Code of 1972), which states:

(39-7-11) (2) All other sites, objects, buildings, artifacts, implements, structures and locations of historical or architectural significance located in or under the surface of any lands belonging to the State of Mississippi or to any county, city or political subdivision of the state may be declared to be Mississippi landmarks by majority vote of the board. Every Mississippi landmark shall be so designated based upon its significance within the historical or architectural patterns of a community, a county, the State of Mississippi, or the United States of America. Upon such action by the board, the designation of the Mississippi landmark shall be recorded in the deed records of the county in which the landmark is located. All such designated sites or items located on public lands within the State of Mississippi may not be taken, altered, damaged, destroyed, salvaged, restored, renovated or excavated without a permit from, the board or in violation of the terms of such permit.

As I mentioned in last year’s post on this topic, the Landmark designation actually does more to protect a building from demolition than a simple National Register listing does, since changes to the building including demolition have to be approved by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The designation can only be applied to private properties if the owner requests it, while public properties like schools, university buildings, courthouses, etc., can be designated based on the criteria set out above. That’s why most of the properties below are public buildings.

In 2012, MDAH added twelve properties to its list of Mississippi Landmarks. All photos below are courtesy of MDAH, and most of the information about each comes from the Mississippi Historic Resources database.

Natchez Toll Plaza for Mississippi River Bridge (1938-40). Designated Mississippi Landmark Jan. 20, 2012. Photo by Mimi Miller, Historic Natchez Foundation, 9-6-2011. Downloaded from MDAH Historic Resources Database 12-25-2012.

Alexander Hall, Jackson State University (1963). Designated Mississippi Landmark Jan. 20, 2012. Photo by S. Tietz, MDAH, 1-8-2009.

Mendenhall School Administration Building (1938). Designated Mississippi Landmark Jan 20, 2012.

Grenada Airport Hangar (1941). Designated Mississippi Landmark July 27, 2012. Photo by City of Grenada, downloaded from MDAH HIstoric Resources Database, 12-25-2012.

Merrill’s Store, Carrollton (c.1860). Designated Mississippi Landmark July 27, 2012. Photo by J. Baughn, MDAH, 10-3-2009.

FBO Hangar, Gulfport-Biloxi Regional Airport (1944). Designated Mississippi Landmark July 27, 2012. Photo by Bill Gatlin, MDAH, 7-27-2007

Cassity Hall (1948, R.W. Naef, archt.). Designated Mississippi Landmark July 27, 2012.

Jenkins Administration Building and Harris Patrick Academic Building (1951, Spain & Biggers, archts.), Hinds Community College. Designated Mississippi Landmarks July 27, 2012.

(old) Sturgis Presbyterian Church (1930). Designated Mississippi Landmark July 27, 2012.

Soria City Lodge, No. 542, Gulfport. Designated Mississippi Landmark Sept. 7, 2012.

Slay House, 128 Rue Magnolia, Biloxi (moved from 132 Reynoir). Designated Mississippi Landmark Sept. 7, 2012.

Clarksdale Central Fire Station (1957). Designated Mississippi Landmark Oct. 19, 2012.

Categories: Biloxi, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Cool Old Places, Grenada, Gulfport, Jackson, MS Dept. of Archives and History, Preservation People/Events, Raymond