Our Main Street friends enjoying lunch during the Save My Place tour for Destination Downtown.

We have decided that lovebugs have great taste in architecture. They have descended on the Charnley-Norwood House by the thousands, just loving away. When Frank Lloyd Wright wrote about inviting nature in, I wonder if this is what he had in mind? It is not just the lovebugs-turtles wander by all day, numerous spiders have their regular corners and a skink has been hanging out in the fireplace.  Hummingbirds at the picture windows and dragonflies darting about make for fun viewing.

This fall is a busy time at the Mississippi Heritage Trust’s coast office, and not just for critters. Last Monday, we were thrilled to share this architectural masterpiece with Main Streeters from Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas who were in Ocean Springs for the Destination Downtown conference. Then on Saturday, architect Ligia Romer shared her thoughts on the “Frank versus Louis” debate with over thirty guests. Her lecture series will continue on October 18 with “Period versus Progress” and November 15 with “The Big Story and the Small Town,” both at 2:00 p.m.

Can’t make it those days? Susan Ruddiman gives a great tour Thursdays from 1:00-5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. In October and November, we will host the Modern MS photography exhibit by four of MSU’s architecture students, Landon Kennedy, David Lewis, Mary Sanders and Casey Walker, featuring over twenty modernist buildings throughout the state-certainly worth the trip south.

So, please come visit and explore this intriguing place, replete with pithy debate, intriguing architectural details and companionable turtles.

Charnley-Norwood House, “Bon Silene”
509 East Beach, Ocean Springs

To learn more about the Charnley-Norwood House and watch the wonderful video by Ellis Anderson, please visit www.savemyplacems.com.

Categories: Historic Preservation, Ocean Springs