Author Archives

In addition to ruling over the MissPres universe with an iron fist, Malvaney enjoys reading, wandering around old buildings, stopping to smell the magnolias, fiddling with databases, and sitting on the porch with a good book and a big ol' dog. Non-interests include but are not limited to tweeting, texting, Instagramming, planking, Candy Crush, Donald Trump, and unecessarily destructive home renovation shows.

• Mississippi Architects: Frank Fort (1896-1963)

  By ELMalvaney on January 16, 2019 • ( 5 )

  

  Today’s featured architect, Frank Fort of Meridian and later Jackson, had a long and famous career, as recounted in his architecturally detailed obituary of 1963, but when I went back through the MissPres archives, I found that we’ve somewhat neglected… Read More ›

• National Register Listings, 2018

  By ELMalvaney on January 11, 2019 • ( 7 )

  

  Last year saw seven new Mississippi places listed on the National Register, ranging from an African American public library to a post-World War II Jewish temple, two architecturally significant houses, and a church in Neshoba County that may or may not be nationally significant.

• Mississippi Landmarks 2018

  By ELMalvaney on January 9, 2019 • ( 3 )

  

  Our second “2018 Highlights” lists the historic properties that were designated as Mississippi Landmarks by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in 2018. The Mississippi Landmark designation isn’t the same as National Register listing, and to read about the… Read More ›

• Auld Lang Syne: Friends we lost in 2018

  By ELMalvaney on January 7, 2019 • ( 7 )

  

  I’m a couple of weeks late in my “end-of-year posts” but as Thomas Rosell mentioned in his last post, sometimes life takes over, and in my case, December just got away from me, so here we are, better late than… Read More ›

• National Trust’s African American Heritage Grants Open

  By ELMalvaney on December 19, 2018 • ( 2 )

  

  From the National Trust for Historic Preservation website: African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grants Grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund advance ongoing preservation activities for historic sites, museums, and landscape projects representing African… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 78

  By ELMalvaney on December 14, 2018 • ( 12 )

  

  Today’s post is the fourteenth (and last) in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.) U.S. Highway 78 Cutting obliquely across… Read More ›

• Join MHT for Live at the Lowry

  By ELMalvaney on December 10, 2018 • ( 0 )

  

  From our friends at the Mississippi Heritage Trust. Live at the Lowry Mississippi Heritage Trust (MHT) is partnering with Spacecamp, Stewpot Community Services, The Apothecary at Brent’s Drugs, and Pollchaps Screenprinting to present the first installment of “Live at the… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 45

  By ELMalvaney on November 29, 2018 • ( 4 )

  

  Coming out of the foothills of the Tennessee River in the northeastern corner of the State, U.S. Highway 45 traverses the rich Black Prairie Belt and the historic and beautiful towns of Aberdeen and Columbus, both of which sponsor annual pilgrimages for the benefit of downsouth travelers.

• Mount Vernons in Mississippi?

  By ELMalvaney on November 28, 2018 • ( 4 )

  

  Calling all MissPresers to find your local Mount Vernon replica and add it to the map!

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 84

  By ELMalvaney on November 15, 2018 • ( 4 )

  

  Today’s post is the twelfth in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.) Beginning at Waynesboro in the eastern part of the… Read More ›

• War Memorial Building’s Mystery Faces Revealed?

  By ELMalvaney on November 12, 2018 • ( 7 )

  

  One cold misty fall-like day recently, only a month or so before the centennial of the end of World War I, I happened to be in Kansas City for the first time and decided to go to the national World… Read More ›

• In Memoriam: William Murtagh, First “Keeper of the National Register”

  By ELMalvaney on November 9, 2018 • ( 5 )

  

  An October 30 obituary in the Washington Post remembers William Murtagh, preservationist, architectural historian, author of Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America, and the first person to hold one of the coolest titles in the federal government, Keeper… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 49-E (“The Choctaw Trail”)

  By ELMalvaney on November 8, 2018 • ( 3 )

  

  Today’s post is the eleventh in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.) Notice that the route described here runs from… Read More ›

• Tour Pearl River County’s Shaw Homestead

  By ELMalvaney on November 5, 2018 • ( 0 )

  

  For several years, I’ve been hearing about the Shaw Homestead in Pearl River County, and I’m excited to see on the Facebook page of the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area that it will be open for tours next Saturday, November… Read More ›

• New Lease on Life for Rodney Presbyterian?

  By ELMalvaney on November 2, 2018 • ( 5 )

  

  For some years, I know we’ve all been watching with interest and concern the semi-ghost town of Rodney and its most prominent landmark, Rodney Presbyterian Church, built in 1829. Frequent floods and constant neglect placed it on one of the… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: Miss. 15

  By ELMalvaney on November 1, 2018 • ( 14 )

  

  Today’s post is the tenth in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.) Dropping down straight through the predominantly rural sections… Read More ›

• From MS to FL With Love

  By ELMalvaney on October 15, 2018 • ( 8 )

  

  If you’re a weather-watcher like I am (remember that back when this blog started in 2009, one of its major themes was Hurricane Katrina–its losses and its preservation success stories), you’ve spent quite a bit of time over the past… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 82

  By ELMalvaney on October 11, 2018 • ( 7 )

  

  Today’s post is the ninth in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.) U.S Highway 82 The “Shortest All-Paved,… Read More ›

• Pat Harrison Waterway Building before Forrest County destroyed it

  By ELMalvaney on October 10, 2018 • ( 9 )

  

  Back in 2013, I encountered the Pat Harrison Waterway Building while it was still the Pat Harrison Waterway Building, and since it was a beautiful blue-sky day that showed its tile mosaic and modernist details, such as its metal screen… Read More ›

• Working Under Cover of Weekend, Forrest County Demos Pat Harrison Building

  By ELMalvaney on October 3, 2018 • ( 24 )

  

  Just a rule of thumb for life, whenever government starts working on Friday afternoon, somethin fishy is probably going on (see Moss Point Water Works). In a burst of energy last Friday afternoon, Forrest County decided to demolish the former… Read More ›

• Carrollton Pilgrimage, Oct. 5-6, 2018

  By ELMalvaney on October 1, 2018 • ( 1 )

  

  Carrollton Pilgrimage and Pioneer Day will be October 2-35-6, 2018, with historic homes, local churches, historic Merrill Building, Gee’s Store, and the Masonic Lodge.

• Head out on the Highway: U.S. 11

  By ELMalvaney on September 27, 2018 • ( 8 )

  

  Today’s post is the eighth in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.)  Note: In the booklet, the paragraphs about Jones… Read More ›

• Hill-Burton Before and After: Franklin County Health Dept.

  By ELMalvaney on September 25, 2018 • ( 1 )

  

  Unlike some of our previous Hill-Burton medical buildings, Franklin County’s 1949 health department in Meadville is easy to find right on the courthouse square, and other than the . . . very red metal roof, it’s very intact to its… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: U.S. 51

  By ELMalvaney on September 19, 2018 • ( 7 )

  

  Today’s post is the seventh in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.)  U.S. Highway 51 Shooting straight down through the… Read More ›

• Prentiss Club Fire Update

  By ELMalvaney on September 6, 2018 • ( 1 )

  

  While the rest of us have been focusing on Tropical Storm Gordon this week (6 inches of good soaking rain in my Jackson rain gauge by late Wednesday), our friends at the Historic Natchez Foundation have been on site with… Read More ›

• Fire damages Prentiss Club in Natchez

  By ELMalvaney on September 3, 2018 • ( 3 )

  

  From our friends at the Historic Natchez Foundation comes video of the Prentiss Club in downtown Natchez, damaged by fire on Sunday morning. The red-tile-roofed Italian Renaissance-style building was built in 1904-1905 and designed by New Orleans architects Soule &… Read More ›

• Head Out on the Highway: Miss. 6

  By ELMalvaney on August 30, 2018 • ( 22 )

  

  Today’s post is the sixth in our reprint of the 1941 publication Mississippi Tourist Guide, which focused on the many attractions along Mississippi’s newly paved highways. (Check out the Intro if you missed it.)  Mississippi Highway 6 Miss. Highway 6 is stamped… Read More ›