Author Archives
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Old Pontotoc Post Office
A few weeks ago, Mark Davis’ Restoring Picayune’s Disappeared WPA Mural not only provided a great story about the Picayune Post Office WPA mural, but included some wonderful photographs of other WPA post office murals. Not long after that, I found myself… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Pontotoc County Courthouse
Pontotoc County’s Neoclassical courthouse–a joint venture between Mahan & Broadwell of Memphis and a young N. W. Overstreet–was constructed in 1915, facing the old courthouse which stood on the town square (Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Historic Resources Inventory). After… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Inside View of Progress on the Taborian Hospital
Ever since my first glimpse of the Taborian Hospital, I have waited for the day I would be able to go inside. Abatement complete and the general clean-up done, and the long-awaited trip inside became reality last month. I am… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Howry-Hull House, aka Fiddler’s Folly
The intense humidity post-Isaac has left me wanting to stay closer to home these days, so there have been no recent road trips. I took a few sweaty minutes to wander up the tree-lined North Lamar Historic District Sunday afternoon… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Senatobia High School
Senatobia High School was constructed in 1938, apparently as a project of the Works Progress Administration (National Register of Historic Places nomination form, John L. Hopkins, 1993). The Art Moderne auditorium is located on the approximate original site of the… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Tate County Courthouse
I think it is part of my nature that I tend to root for the underdog. When it comes to things like world peace and hunger and poverty, this is hugely important. When it comes to the 101 Places in… Read More ›
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101 Places: Dockery Farms Plantation
Dockery Farms, number three in the Delta regional poll for the 101 Places in Mississippi to see before you die, was established in 1895 “to produce cotton, America’s biggest export at the time” (DockeryFarms.org). Located on Highway 8 between Cleveland… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: St John the Baptist Catholic Church
Another building that failed to make the final 101 Places in Mississippi to see before you die list is St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Sardis. It took only 1% of the vote in the Holly Springs/Oxford area of the… Read More ›
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W. A. Rayfield: Mt. Gilead Baptist Church
Back in February 2011, Malvaney ran a post about Wallace Augustus Rayfield, one of the first African American architects: Rayfield, a native of Georgia, was educated at Howard, Columbia and the Pratt Institute, and taught architecture and drafting at Tuskegee… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Leland M. E. Church, South
The Leland Methodist Church was constructed 1923-24 in a Mission, Spanish Revival style. The MDAH HRI database references similarity of the design of the Fayette, Alabama Methodist Church in crediting the architect (T. L. Brodie, conjectured) and builder (L. Vance, conjectured)…. Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Heathman Plantation
The Heathman Plantation in Sunflower County was originally known as Dogwood Ridge Plantation. It was purchased in 1871 by J. M. Heathman and renamed. Heathman was married to Lille Brown, the daughter of James Brown who built the house later… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Linden Terrace, Holly Springs
My first trip through Holly Springs was in the fall of 2003, on my way to Memphis. I was fascinated by the Square, and Mississippi Industrial College, and vowed to return. Although I finally made my first visit to MIC… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: I. C. Levy Department Store, Holly Springs
In 1858, I. C. Levy, a Jewish immigrant from France, began his clothing store in Holly Springs, originally in the Southwest block of the Square (John Mickle, The South Reporter, November 25, 1965). The MDAH Historic Inventory database identifies this block as… Read More ›
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101 Places: Airliewood in Holly Springs
Airliewood is listed on the 101 Places in MIssissippi to See Before you Die list…but will not be able to be seen without an invitation onto the grounds. Iron fences, and mature trees combine to make it primarily hidden from… Read More ›
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101 Places: Walter Place in Holly Springs
Harvey Washington Walter “challenged [architect Spires Boling] to create something grander than the classic Greek Revival house with tall white columns” (walterplace.com). Boling’s response was the Gothic towers “topped with castellated battlements.” Battlement: …a parapet with indentations or embrasures with… Read More ›
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Mound Bayou 125th Anniversary Celebration
July 12th marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the City of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. During the week of July 8-14, 2012, the City of Mound Bayou invites you to share in the celebration of this unique community, established… Read More ›
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Taborian Hospital Project Update
Work on the restoration and renovation of Mound Bayou’s Taborian Hospital–slated to become the Taborian Urgent Care Center–is finally making visual progress after several months of planning and development. The plywood is off the doors and some of the windows,… Read More ›
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Oxford City Hall, former Federal Building and Post Office
Next up on the “101 Places in Mississippi to see before you die” list is the City Hall of Oxford, former Federal Building and Post Office for 90 years (1885-1975). The City Hall took 5% (43 votes) of the vote… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: First Presbyterian Church of Water Valley
The First Presbyterian Church of Water Valley was established in 1843. The Romanesque building was erected in 1896. Romanesque Revival was a popular style in the late 1800s in Mississippi, particularly for Presbyterian and Methodist churches (Pace/Cawthon, Lost Churches of… Read More ›
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Youth-led Community Development in Mound Bayou
In an update of the historic preservation work going on in Mound Bayou, we focus this week on youth-led community development. The idea is engaging youth in community development, including historic preservation and economic development. Working with the City of… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Hotel Alcazar, Clarksdale
This is the New Hotel Alcazar, built 1914-15, in the Colonial Revival/Classical Revival style, another loser in the 101 Places contest. The original Alcazar was built in 1895 on an adjoining lot. The New Alcazar was intended to expand the… Read More ›
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Update on the Burns “Belfry” Project in Oxford
The plywood covering the windows and walls of the Burns Belfry Church has finally come down! In October, the City of Oxford applied for a state grant (MDAH) to complete the restoration of the project–which has been in the works… Read More ›
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Suzassippi’s Mississippi: New Roxy Theater
Another nominee for the 101 Mississippi places was the New Roxy theater on Issaquena Street, Clarksdale. Sadly, the New Roxy fared even less well than the Greyhound station, earning a mere 2 votes or .56% of the Delta poll. The… Read More ›
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Greyhound Bus Terminal, Clarksdale
The Greyhound Bus Terminal in Clarksdale was nominated from the Delta region for the “101 Places in MIssissippi to see before you die” list. It garnered only 3% of the Delta region vote, thus ensuring its place in the “Not… Read More ›
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The Future of Mound Bayou: Saving the Legacy
At the beginning of the week, I outlined the plans for the series about Mound Bayou, which just commemorated the 124th year of its founding. The intent of the posts was to provide a brief history of the origins and… Read More ›
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Taborian Hospital and the Delta Health Center: The role of health care in social change and community empowerment
The Mississippi unit of the Sir Knights and Daughters of the Tabor was established in 1889 for the purpose of providing insurance–burial, life, and health care (Hodding Carter, Saturday Evening Post, February 23, 1946). Membership in 1946 had increased to… Read More ›
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Bank of Mound Bayou: Charles Banks, A Chief Lieutenant
Charles Banks, already a successful businessman in Clarksdale, moved to Mound Bayou with the plan of greater accomplishments in the all-black town. Banks quickly became involved in the community, both politically and economically, and worked with Booker T. Washington and Tuskegee. Although… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 