Let’s jump right into today’s roundup.

Lee School. Columbus, MS Photo by: Dispatch file photo

In Columbus, there is more news about the former Lee High School.  The school was designated a Mississippi Landmark at last week’s MDAH Board of Trustees meeting.

http://www.wtva.com/content/news/Columbus-Lee-Middle-School-designated-historical-landmark–483379721.html

https://www.wcbi.com/lee-middle-school-deemed-historic-landmark/

http://www.cdispatch.com/news/article.asp?aid=66026

More on the Jackson University of Mississippi Medical Center cemetery saga–anthropologist are using dendrochronology to determine the age of the caskets, which will give some insight as to when the deceased were buried.  You might remember this was the same technique used to date the La Pointe Krebs House several years ago.

http://www.meridianstar.com/region/mississippi-up-to-bodies-from-asylum-may-be-in-field/article_1472a97a-0b21-517d-8519-1fa7bad53ac7.html

Two other stories from Jackson and both concern the Medgar and Myrile Evers House.  First, on May 24th a plaque denoting the National Historic Landmark (NHL) status was dedicated.  You might recall that the house was designated an NHL in January of 2017.

http://www.wdam.com/story/38256797/medgar-and-myrlie-evers-house-to-receive-national-historic-landmark-designation-plaque

Second, Mississippi Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith introduced legislation Monday to designate the Evers’ house in Jackson as a national monument, an action that would bring the house into the National Park System.

http://www.wtok.com/content/news/Wicker-Hyde-Smith-introduce-Medgar-Evers-bill-483266581.html

From Vicksburg, a story from a few weeks back about a house fire that did some significant damage to 2432 Cherry Street.  A contributing element to the South Cherry Street National Register Historic District, the nomination of which describes the building as follows.

A two-story, clapboard, four-bay, residence, facing east, with an asphalt-covered hip roof with a cross gable. Originally there was a small one-story stoop. Between 1907 and 1913 the porch was enlarged to a one-story L-shape. The porch was changed to its current size in the 1970’s. The two-story gallery has a shed roof supported by two-story paneled columns. There are brackets at the cornice. There are four bays: double-leaf, paneled doors with transoms, pilasters and entablature; four, floor-length, two-over-two, double-hung windows with bracketed heads; and a three-part bay window with one-over-two, double-hung sash.

Hopefully the house can be saved.

https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2018/05/03/blaze-destroys-vicksburg-house-built-in-1800-dog-dies-in-fire-bnx/

The Arbuthnot Grocery Store Museum on Pinckneyville Road, 10 miles west of Woodville, one of the first black-owned businesses in Wilkinson County, hosted its second-annual celebration on Saturday, May 19th.  You might remember the Arbuthnot Grocery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places back in 2016.

Last but not least part of a story from McComb.  Apparently the city will not demolish 19 historic houses after learning what the price tag for the work will be.  Sounds like a great opportunity to work with folks to see the buildings rehabilitated.  Any readers with access behind the Enterprise Journal pay wall care to share any details of this story?

http://www.enterprise-journal.com/news/article_1a21b7d4-5f71-11e8-90de-079ebad2288c.html

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Categories: African American History, Columbus, Demolition/Abandonment, Historic Preservation, Jackson, McComb, MS Dept. of Archives and History, Natchez, National Park Service, National Register, News Roundups, Preservation People/Events, Renovation Projects

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