Back in February 2012, I pleaded with Baptist Hospital to save the old Rexall drug store, also known as the Super D, located just north of the McDonalds on N. State. It was designed around 1950 by a young Robert Overstreet, the architect of another building with a fabulous cantilevered awning, had received the rare honor of being published in the Architectural Record, and it was still in good shape.
Two months later, April 2012, this amazing building was rubble.
So, 5 years on, let’s take a look at its replacement! It must be something wonderful if they had to demolish the building RIGHT AWAY, no time to discuss!
That’s right, it’s a big vacant whole–not just the Super D, but also two other buildings on that half of the block that had been occupied fairly recently before being demolished.
Too often, preservationists get painted into a corner in the media as “standing in the way of progress.” And too often, this is what “progess” looks like.
Remember Ceres Plantation?
The sweet little grove where Ceres once stood. Still vacant, Warren County Port Commission, just like most of the rest of your industrial park.
How about the Meridian Hotel? Meridian’s 1907 high-rise hotel demolished in 2011 for the Mississippi Museum of Entertainment, which has only recently begun construction of its new museum, funded (or at least “pledged”) by Mississippi taxpayers to the tune of at least $29 million. Could they have built their new museum onto the old building and used the hotel for, I don’t know . . a hotel? Who knows? They needed to tear down the building before they could tell what they needed to build at taxpayer expense.
Meridian Hotel (c.1910-2011): A victim of vapid stupidity
The list could go on, but that’s enough depressing news for today. Just remember that you can fight back next time a developer or government agency calls you crazy for wanting to save a perfectly useable historic building.
Categories: Demolition/Abandonment, Jackson, Meridian
Preservation in Mississippi 
It’s a crying shame.
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Lack of insight and foresight – who is they!
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Thank goodness you saved this post for a Thursday, not a Monday. I unfortunately share your exasperation toward a cretinous world.
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I think you will see a lot more of this type of BS in years to come under you know who’s administration, especially with respect to rolling back environmental standards and historical preservation. After all, deals are to be made.
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“Meridian Hotel (c.1910-2011): A victim of vapid stupidity” should win a best caption award
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shhhh… I don’t think he know what HP is yet, please don’t bring it up!
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Add the site of the former Swingster factory in Ocean Springs to this list. http://www.wlox.com/story/34958830/no-bids-offered-for-prime-downtown-ocean-springs-property
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