Three years ago, after a long day of bumping around Vicksburg looking at cool old stuff, I decided to take one of my favorite stretches of highway back to Jackson, Highway 80 between Vicksburg and Edwards. It was about this time of year, and I knew that the cotton would be high and the fields getting white to harvest. I’ve driven this stretch before but this time I had to do a U-turn to go back to an overgrown lot that held what was left of an Art Moderne commercial building. Upon closer inspection, I found that this must have been a restaurant that was affiliated with the long Ranch-like brick building to the west, which must have been a motel. I took a bunch of pictures, and enjoyed the beautiful fall sunlight, but I didn’t know anything about the place, and in the rush of life I forgot about it.
Fast forward to this summer when I was sneaking a peek at eBay’s postcards–a temptation I try hard to avoid but then occasionally fall way off the wagon and go on a spree–and I saw this card. I knew immediately it was that place that I last saw in 2011, but the card, although wrinkled and aged showed the Pinewood Motor Court in all its mid-century Modern glory.
Although the lot is overgrown and the remaining buildings are not in great shape–especially the restaurant–this complex is sturdily constructed and I think would make an interesting retro bed-and-breakfast on a highway that is now much quieter than it was before it was bypassed by Interstate 20. This Bing aerial shows that it backs up to a lake, and has an interesting art object across the road. It also shows that the right half of the motel has been demolished, which is why it took me a while when I first stopped to figure out that these buildings all went together. Not sure, but I also think I see a For Sale sign out front. Any takers?
more Abandoned Mississippi . . .
Categories: Cool Old Places, Hotels, Vicksburg
Preservation in Mississippi 
I remember that place! My family often drove Highway 80 west from Jackson, heading for Texas, and we would pass that motel. If I am recalling correctly, the owners also kept tame animals in the front. Maybe deer? I could be thinking of another place; maybe someone else will know.
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I didnt see the tame animals. But I have only known about this place since 1978/79.
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I spent a happy couple of days at Vicksburg a few years ago. Thanks for the pictures. I love MS and want to spend more time there next time I’m over there.
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I love the Art Moderne building!
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I grew up a few miles east of that motel. Passed it several times a day on the way to and from school or going to town. At the time, mid to late 60s it pretty much looked like your photos of the “ruins”. I never knew there was a lake behind it. May have been a great place to fish. I was there last year and the remnants are still there.
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Hey John Do you remember who was the manager that ran the hotel. Not the man that owned it, but the person who worked and managed it.
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The restaurant build in the postcard is considerably different looking than the restaurant building in the photographs. Wonder what the story behind that is?
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I see it as artistic license in changing it from untainted brick to white so it would show up better, and maybe eliminating the concrete awnings to show off the facade?
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and changing the fenestration and the entrances. Plus adding the colorful art moderne accouterments along the parapet. It might be an earlier proposal
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If only these were Residential I can easily bring back there historic significance with our Renovation Mortgages. Ask Todd Sanders at MS Deprt Of Archives, he can share. But the pictures you provide are awesome
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anyone know who owns this property now?
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Once, teenagers on a lark (actually, Millsaps students) rode out old 80 and saw this “trailer court”. My memory is hazy after 30 years, but I recall a 60′ (yes, foot) metal statue of a diner waitress, in a perky uniform with a big smile holding a tray (probably circa 1950s?). We dubbed her “Alma”. I must retrace this route again soon to see if Alma still stands.
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She was further east on Hwy 80, real close to Newman’s Road. They took her down years ago and you can google the story of the tall lady diner statue on hwy 80 vicksburg ms to find out where she wound up. She is no longer residing in MS. Bummer.
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BTW: these used to dot the countryside. The last of them in Natchez (on Homochitto Street) was torn down in the 1980s. Natchez has the tendency to treasure the antebellum over later design aesthetics just as valuable. Case in point: Natchez Super Center (green onyx facaded supermarket, from the ’40s); Lustron house, and others gone now. Surviving: the art deco former Buick dealership on Jefferson St near bluff, and the trailer court at Washington, on Hwy 61, in front of antebellum house Ingleside (just down from Jeff. Military College), now converted into mini-apartments.
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Richard Strong’s Pinewood Grill on Hwy 80 East was a standard for white patrons, until it burned down in October 1951.
Mike Guido would later reopen and modernize the grill to become a favorite dining sport for locals. Strong’s Sequoia Hills Club on Hwy 80 across the street from the Pinewood
In July of 1953 the Red Tops played at the Sequoia Hills Club across the street from the Pinewood Grill before the first white audience, in a segregated South at the time. For me, it was a night to remember. Word would spread Kuduz and the Red Tops became famous with Rufus McKay singing Danny Boy to signal closure for the night.
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When I was a kid in the 80’s, a couple by the name of Robert and Becky Pitts were caretakers at Pinewood. They had two kids, Jean and Bryan, my friends. Does anyone know what ever became of them?
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Can someone tell me what was the bad thing that happened at this building?
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The property has been bought by the Warren County Board of Supervisors. The old motel will be torn down and the lake destroyed to build a new jail.
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I worked there in 1976, I was the Bar manager, we stayed open for about 9 months, everything we got was on cash basis only, utility’s, Beer, pop, food, pool tables, pinball, coolers, repairs, the pluming and the roof leaked all the time, they could not fix it with what little money we had coming in, sometimes I had to wait to get my check, It was a experience .
That’s why they went under, could not compeet with the others line the Beach wood inn , Ramada Inn,
Side Track , Carmells .
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I think this may be where Vicksburg is proposing building a jail. That would be awful. What a loss of a cool motel. These used to be considered fancy in its day. You could see the pretty pink bathroom. As far back as I can remember, 1978/79, it has looked like it does in the photos…I think possibly it is partially demolished due to a fire. But that happened long before I first saw it in 1978/79. But it has not been in use since I first saw it. It was always what we referred to as the abandoned, burned out brick motel. Sure would be better for the neighborhoods if it is NOT demolished and a jail built. Would be cool if it were rebuilt where it needs it and renovated in the rest of it and then turned into a restaurant and motel again.
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The motel is gone and the lake drained. No jail yet.
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Oh. I had not gone passed it since the two wash out/road collapses on Hwy 80 in Feb 2020 and Feb 2021. I got the heebie-jeebies about the wash outs. Thanks for the updates.
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I got the sign before they tore it down to clean it up for the new jail to be built. Just got the sign put up and working today 11/04/2022. The sign is at Toneys Grill & Seafood Market in Vicksburg MS. Hope to have NEON put on it shortly, it is an awesome sign. Does anyone know how old the sign is the one with the arrow.
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