Name This Place is a week-long contest run occasionally here on Preservation in Mississippi that allows MissPres readers to show off their knowledge of Mississippi’s historic architecture and bring out their competitive juices by competing to see which reader who correctly identifies the most historic places wins the coveted title “Mississippi Preservationist Extraordinaire.”

There have been eleven previous Name This Place contests, the first in June 2009 and the last back in April 2015. While the initial contests focused on just identifying various Mississippi buildings, the last few have upped the difficulty level by requiring MissPres readers to identify a building based on a photograph of an architectural detail, such as columns, doors, or signs. While Malvaney usually is the grand inquisitor for these contests, since I am so bloody good at them, I have decided to step into that position for this edition of Name This Place, and I am upping the difficulty level even more by asking MissPres readers to identify buildings that no longer exist. All the buildings in this contest are ones that have been lost. Some have been demolished recently. Some no living Mississippian has ever seen. This edition of Name This Place will test your knowledge of Mississippi’s vanished architectural heritage.

Now for The Rules:

1. Up to four photographs will be posted each day. Posting times will vary each day but will be on the hour and be between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; there will be no posts in the middle of the night. For instance, one day may have four photos posted that day, one at 9:00 a.m., one at 12:00 p.m., one at 1:00 p.m., and, finally, one at 4:00 p.m. while the next day have three photos posted, one at 8:00 a.m., one at 11:00 a.m, and one at 5:00 p.m. This will keep you on your toes and, if Spring Fever was not enough, distract you from any work you need to do.
2. The buildings represented will all be Mississippi buildings–there will be no out-of-state buildings.
3. There will be no hints before or after the photo is posted, unless I start feeling extraordinarily generous (or feel like taking pity on stumped MissPres readers).
4. Post answers in the comment area.
5. The first person to state the name of the building, along with its location wins a point. The format of the first answer must include the name and the town/community or it will not count. Those who complain about having to name the town will also be forced to name the county.
6. An extra point will be awarded to anyone (including the person who identified the building) who comes along later and adds more information to the initial answer; for instance:
   1. construction date
   2. demolition date
   3. architect
   4. renovations
   5. historical information about the building’s use or importance
   6. comparisons to other buildings of a similar type or style
   7. buildings with the same architect or builder
   8. individuals associated with the building’s history
   9. anything else of pertinent interest
7. Only one point per person for extra information, no matter how much information you give. This means that up to two points can be awarded to the person who answers first if he or she includes not only the name and location but also the construction date, architect, etc. But only one point can be awarded to anyone who adds information after the initial correct answer. As a strategy, however, you might consider that if you add a bunch of extra information you will be taking away points from others who won’t have much left to say once you’re done.
8. If there is a judgment call about whether your information is accurate or if it “adds” enough to be interesting and thus eligible to receive a point, I, W. White, Grand Inquisitor and two-time Mississippi Preservationist Extraordinaire, will make that judgment call after flipping a coin, asking the Magic 8-Ball, gazing into the Aether, reading the tea leaves in my Mississippi Preservationist Extraordinaire goblet, etc.
9. If no one guesses correctly for a photo by the next day’s first post, I win four points.

The last rule means that, conceivably, I could win this edition of Name This Place, and if I was more devious, I would pick such obscure lost buildings that no one would have a chance of identifying them. But, although the posts will increase in difficulty throughout the week, all of them were landmarks and should be identifiable.

At the end of the week (i.e., after Friday), the person with the most points wins the title and the right to be called “Mississippi’s Preservationist Extraordinaire.”

Get ready, the contest starts tomorrow morning.

Categories: Contest

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