If you haven’t visited the Mississippi Heritage Trust website www.lovemsmod.com since its launch you need to stop back by. The posts are piling up and have highlighted some of Jackson and the Gulf Coast’s premier Modern works. They are, in no particular order…
- The Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex by Carter Burns
- Tour of the Falk house by Josh Hailey
- NASA Central Control Building by Allison Anderson
- Gulfport Library by Allison Anderson
- The Restoration of the Charnley Norwood House by Ken P’Pool
If all that reading about Modern architecture has gotten you wanting to experience some in person, you are in luck. MHT is holding a Mad Mod Affair February 26 & 27, 2015 in the Jackson neighborhood of Eastover. On February 26 from 6-9 p.m. you can partake in a tour and reception at the home of Risa and Jack Moriarity-3911 Eastover Drive. Tickets are $100.
Watercolor of 3911 Eastover Drive Jackson, MS. Moriarity House courtesy of Greater Eastover Neighborhood Foundation. from http://www.lovemsmod.com accessed 2/2/2015
On February 27, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. MHT is hosting a Tour of Modern Homes for the pocketbook friendly price of $15. The homes featured will be:
- Sybil and Jim Child-4041 Dogwood Drive
- John Hooks, Falk House Natatorium and Artist Studio-2037 East Bourne Place
- Katie and Dee Lovelace-2312 Eastover Drive
- Cindy and Jeff Wilson-4135 North Honeysuckle Drive
I had the chance to visit the Falk House during the “Meet Modern Jackson” event in 2013. To see it again would be worth the trip to Jackson alone. Registration for the events are separate, so if you want to attend both make sure you register for each.
Falk House Jackson, MS. Meet Modern Jackson Tour April, 2013.
And because today is Friday, to give your week-weary brain a rest check out this YouTube video of the now demolished Red Hot Truck Stop in Meridian. The Chris Risher Sr. designed gem was senselessly demolished not too long after this video was shot. The video is a valuable article that helps us understand the building that was.
The iconic roadside structure appreciated by historic preservationist, architects, truckers, archaeologist and regular people,was demolished by Walmart about 2000. Because being more than 250 yards away from the Walmart building site, it was obviously in the way of their new building….
Walmart (left side) and the former site of the Red Hot Truck Stop (red pin, upper right). Meridian, MS
Maybe it just boils down to the fact that the modern suaveness of the Red Hot Truck Stop made the banal box store self-conscious by showing that even something as utilitarian as a truck stop can be designed like someone gives a darn. Hopefully the work of MHT and the lovemsmod.com webpage may help save a Modern Mississippi landmark someday soon.
Now for something completely different. If you haven’t seen the facebook, twitter or MissPres “Upcoming Events” calendar posts, a clean-up has been organized for the abandoned historic town of Rodney, Mississippi tomorrow, Saturday February 7, 2015 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. If you never been, now is a perfect opportunity to visit this vivid place seen in so many photographs and most recently in the James Brown Bio-Pic Get On Up. If you’ve been before, now is the perfect chance to visit again and pay it forward by helping with the cleanup. Hope to see you there!
February 7, 2015 at 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Rodney Cemetery, Lorman, MS 39096, United States. We need you to help cleanup Rodney Cemetery and historic buildings! Brooms, mops, tools to cut vines, mowers, help for cemetery, outside buildings, inside… Come to Rodney if you can! See https://www.facebook.com/events/1533358040281169/
Categories: Asides, Cool Old Places, Demolition/Abandonment, Gulfport, Jackson, Lost Mississippi, Mississippi Heritage Trust, Modernism, Ocean Springs, Picayune, Preservation People/Events, Recent Past
Oh dear! The demolition and removal of the Red Hot truck stop made me furious and sad. Can’t believe that happened. In the video it appeared to be well maintained and such a neat place to go. The neon signs, mural and that old menu – priceless! Heartbreaking. Many thanks to the person who made the video. And, thank you for posting. I hope this NEVER happens again. Such a loss!
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Thank you for the Comment. Hopefully the Red Hot example will add encouragement for saving the Meridian Police Station.
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Thanks for the shout-out Thomas. The Mad Mod Affair Eastover event is filling up fast, hope to see lots of MissPressers there.
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That is good to hear there is so much interest. Hopefully leads to more events in the future and ultimately saving places!
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Great post! I love love love modernism now, and especially, the Brutalism–I am even in love with the name now–those great hulking buildings are awesome! I want to live in one, and have 3 more on stand-by for vacations.
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:). We definitely need to chat. Ive got my retreats all picked out. I know for sure we should restore american brutalist master Paul Rudolph’s fredella village in Vicksburg.
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Yes, wasn’t it amazing how we transformed the unique original structure into yet another ordinary apartment building. :s)
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Painfully amazing unfortunately :/ I have a photo of Fredella from 1987 that I’ve been working up the gumption to post about. based on the photograph its transition was some what gradual.
We’ve got fredella village to work on and I saw that the Santa Maria Delmar has a for sale sign in front, if you are interested in a place on the coast. Still in need of post katrina restoration
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so glad to find there is a group like this in Mississippi. I’m originally from here! My parents want me to move back, so I’ve been thinking about it and looking around. I came across this sad example of what once was a neat mid century modern house. so sad. really. rape comes to mind. warning!!! my hope is someone will want to buy it and restore it. i hope it’s ok to post it here. ; )
http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/709-Halstead-Rd_Ocean-Springs_MS_39564_M73028-03916?row=7
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Oh . . . just oh. Poor thing, bless it’s little ol’ mid-century modernist heart.
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Also,, after reading the comments about the demolition, is there Neighborhood Associations? In San Francisco, and here in Albuquerque both places I have lived we had Neighborhood Associations that met regularly, had a charter, a master design plan and a liaison with City Hall and the Planning Department. If something was going to be demolished of historic value, we got our boots on and showed up and voted it down. There is power in forming Neighborhood Associations to protect your areas and how you want them to be!
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