March is flying by – even if we have to deal with some winter-like temps again. Just a handful of stories from this week, but all good news for a chilly morning:

Starting in Natchez where good reports on the Pilgrimage numbers keep coming in. According to the latest story, numbers are up about 25% from last year already. I’m sure if you visit this week you’ll find warm welcomes on the chilly days ahead!

Sticking in the Southwest part of the state, we picked up this story out of Woodville. It’s a nice feature piece about the 2 year, million dollar renovation of the former Woodville Hotel into a great mixed use space right on the courthouse square. The owners saw the potential for the mostly vacant building – and were able to take advantage of tax credits to make it happen. Hopefully this project will be a catalyst for other projects on the square.

Speaking of renovations – the former Forest County Jail in Hattiesburg might be converted into affordable housing. A firm out of North Carolina has expressed interest in taking on this project in the Hub City. One of the reasons is all of the other great projects that are revitalizing the Downtown area. It sounds like this is still in the early phases of discussion, but we’ll keep an eye out for future stories.

Finally, a little blurb from Biloxi where our friends at Beauvoir held a ground breaking for their latest project on the grounds – the recreation of Verina Howell Davis’ garden. They have her notes and original plans to base their project on. Work is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Categories: Biloxi, Gulf Coast, Hattiesburg, Heritage Tourism, Historic Landscapes, Historic Preservation, Natchez, News Roundups, Preservation People/Events, Renovation Projects, Woodville