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.

• Piney Woods Poll at the Halfway Mark

  By ELMalvaney on November 14, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  With 267 votes at the halfway point (actually a little over the halfway point since our normal Friday check-in was replaced by a Veteran’s Day post), our Piney Woods poll is a close race. Two very different places are tied… Read More ›

• Honoring Veterans of All Generations (2011)

  By ELMalvaney on November 11, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Natchez

  By ELMalvaney on November 10, 2011 • ( 2 )

  

  Today’s post is Chapter 8 in our series re-printing Frank Brooks’ “Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Stories about Streetcars,” originally published in 1983. View other posts in the series at the “Streetcars” tab. ——————————————————————– The quaint old city of Natchez… Read More ›

• Going Inside: An Original “Southern Colonial”

  By ELMalvaney on November 9, 2011 • ( 5 )

  

  While in Charleston with the Southeastern Society of Architectural Historians (SESAH) a couple weeks ago, I got in on a special tour of Drayton Hall, just across the Ashley River from Charleston. Owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation since… Read More ›

• From Charleston to Vicksburg, With Love

  By ELMalvaney on November 8, 2011 • ( 9 )

  

  A couple of weeks ago, I was in Charleston, South Carolina, to attend the annual meeting of the Southern Society of Architectural Historians (which group, as you recall, met here in Jackson in 2009). I admit I skipped out on… Read More ›

• MissPres 101 Places: Piney Woods Poll

  By ELMalvaney on November 4, 2011 • ( 0 )

  Ok y’all, we’re down to the second-to-last poll in our quest to attain a list of 101 Mississippi Places to See Before You Die. For the next two weeks, you and your friends will have the opportunity to vote for… Read More ›

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Meridian

  By ELMalvaney on November 3, 2011 • ( 10 )

  

  When Meridianites voted on a streetcar referendum on July 23, 1925, only 316 citizens voted to retain trolley transportation. Less than six weeks after that vote, busses were already following much the same routes previously covered by the trolleys with the exception of a new business district loop.

• Mississippi Builders: Francis Blair Hull (1846-1922)

  By ELMalvaney on November 2, 2011 • ( 5 )

  

  At the center of an architectural dynasty that included two architects and one construction company, Francis Blair Hull’s contributions to the architecture of Mississippi and the entire South have been unfortunately almost forgotten in the 90 years since his death…. Read More ›

• Old Capitol Follies: Almost a Panic in the Senate!

  By ELMalvaney on October 28, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  In the last Old Capitol Follies, the American Architect and Building News gave us a serious look at Jackson in 1890, including the sad shape of the Old Capitol. By 1896, the building had declined even further as legislators debated… Read More ›

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Memphis and Lakeview Railway

  By ELMalvaney on October 27, 2011 • ( 0 )

  

  Today’s post is Chapter 6 in our series re-printing Frank Brooks’ “Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Stories about Streetcars.” View other posts in the series at the “Streetcars” tab. ——————————– Lakeview, in DeSoto County, was the terminus of the Memphis… Read More ›

• Mississippi Architect, March 1964: South Hills Branch Library

  By ELMalvaney on October 26, 2011 • ( 1 )

  

  Jackson’s South Hills Branch Library was the Mississippi subject of the March 1964 issue of Mississippi Architect. Now known as Richard Wright Library, the building is still in use as a library, although the original front entrance is now sadly… Read More ›

• Mississippi Architect, March 1964: Cost and Light

  By ELMalvaney on October 25, 2011 • ( 9 )

  

  It’s been a while since our last post re-printing the Mississippi Architect, a monthly magazine published by the Mississippi chapter of the American Institute of Architects. So let’s jump back in with the March 1964 issue. As you may recall,… Read More ›

• Delta Poll Results

  By ELMalvaney on October 24, 2011 • ( 5 )

  

  The results are in for the Delta poll, and they show that I was wrong once again in my expectations. I really thought more Delta folk would turn out to vote for their favorite place, but in the end, we… Read More ›

• Going Inside: St. Michael’s Church, Biloxi

  By ELMalvaney on October 21, 2011 • ( 12 )

  

  I recently bought a couple of postcards showing the interior of St. Michael’s Church in Biloxi, and it reminded me that I had taken a few pictures inside myself a while back when I was down on the Coast. If… Read More ›

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Laurel

  By ELMalvaney on October 20, 2011 • ( 9 )

  

  Today’s post is Chapter 5 in our series re-printing Frank Brooks’ “Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Stories about Streetcars.” View other posts in the series at the “Streetcars” tab. ———————————————– Mississippi was not one of the states which boasted an… Read More ›

• See Prospect Hill With Your Own Eyes!

  By ELMalvaney on October 19, 2011 • ( 11 )

  

  There’s a saying, “To see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone.” In a few weeks, on Saturday, November 12, you will have the opportunity to go where few have gone (at least legally) when the… Read More ›

• New Opportunities for Historic Schools?

  By ELMalvaney on October 18, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

  Since the early days of MissPres, I’ve noted the often unnecessary demolition of historic schools and the lack of maintenance of those still operating as schools. Off the top of my head, I can name just a few of the… Read More ›

• Halfway through the Delta Poll

  By ELMalvaney on October 14, 2011 • ( 1 )

  

  With 269 votes, the Delta poll has another week to go. Not unexpectedly, given that the Abandoned Mt. Holly post from 18 months ago is still one of the top hits here on MissPres, Lake Washington’s Mt. Holly is currently… Read More ›

• Eastland Building Bidding Heating Up

  By ELMalvaney on October 13, 2011 • ( 17 )

  Jackson’s Art Deco Eastland Federal Building is on the auction block, with bidding ending tomorrow afternoon. Three bids were placed today, with the top bid at $851,000. Check out the action at the GSA Auction site.

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Jackson

  By ELMalvaney on October 13, 2011 • ( 10 )

  

  Today’s post is Chapter 5 in our series re-printing Frank Brooks’ “Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Stories about Streetcars.” View other posts in the series at the “Streetcars” tab. ———————————— It has been a good many years since I have… Read More ›

• A Laurel Church by Clair M. Jones

  By ELMalvaney on October 12, 2011 • ( 7 )

  

  A few weeks ago, as you may recall, guest author Mark Davis introduced us to Memphis architect Clair Maurice Jones. Jones not only designed a number of large and regionally famous Modernist works in both Atlanta and Memphis, but also… Read More ›

• Old Capitol Follies

  By ELMalvaney on October 11, 2011 • ( 3 )

  

  Over MissPres’ lifetime, we’ve spent quite a bit of time examining how our New Capitol got built. But come to think about it, we’ve spent not much time at all on why our New Capitol got built. There’s a whole… Read More ›

• Architecture on PBS

  By ELMalvaney on October 9, 2011 • ( 1 )

  PBS has two interesting shows playing on architectural themes, one about Gothic cathedrals–which showed earlier this week but is available for online viewing anytime–and another tonight about architect Robert A.M. Stern.

• 101 Mississippi Places: Delta Poll

  By ELMalvaney on October 7, 2011 • ( 2 )

  After a few weeks’ break from our polling, we’re back on the track and coming into the homestretch to cut our initial list of Mississippi places down to what will be the final 101 Mississippi Places to See Before You… Read More ›

• Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Hattiesburg

  By ELMalvaney on October 6, 2011 • ( 4 )

  

  Today’s post is Chapter 4 in our series re-printing Frank Brooks’ “Travelling by Trolley in Mississippi: Stories about Streetcars.” View other posts in the series at the “Streetcars” tab. ———————————— The Hattiesburg Traction Company, at its peak of operation, radiated… Read More ›

• Washington Monument Updates

  By ELMalvaney on October 5, 2011 • ( 0 )

  Check out several interesting video updates on the damage and on-going assessment at the Washington Monument on the National Park Service’s webpage.

• Two New Books For Your Architectural Library

  By ELMalvaney on October 5, 2011 • ( 2 )

  

  Now that the weather had turned fine, you might feel the urge to curl up with a book, and two new biographies of architects whose work touched Mississippi have just come out to add to your list. In case you… Read More ›