In the Spring of 1936, HABS photographer James Butters visited the John Ford House in the Sandy Hook community just north of the Louisiana/Mississippi line on the west side of the Pearl River. The house must have impressed him because… Read More ›
Antebellum
MissPres News Roundup 7-8-2019
My last news roundup was a somewhat cursory one. This time, I am going to try and cover what fell through the cracks in June and what has happened in the past two weeks. And let me tell you that… Read More ›
HABS in Mississippi: Burrus House, Benoit
The once-grand mansion was in a precarious condition in 1936 when our old friend James Butters took two photos of the building for the Historic American Building Survey, one from the front and one from the back, which was already missing its original double gallery.
Changes at MDAH Historic Sites
According to the MDAH website, the Old Capitol will be closed for roof repairs. While the work will last at least eight months, the closure is expected to only go through the end of May and has to do with… Read More ›
Waverley Back on Pilgrimage Under New Owners
Columbus’ week-long Spring Pilgrimage wraps up this weekend, so you still have time to catch the awe-inspiring Waverley, with its octagonal cupola, thanks to new owners.
How Madisonia Came to Windsor
The fourth post in the Madisonia Trilogy tells the story of Smith Coffee Daniel’s famous Windsor Exxon, a Corinthian columned masterpiece complete with a Coffeeteria in its center court.
HABS in Mississippi: Concord Quarters, Natchez
Concord Quarters was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January, and I believe this is the first individually listed slave quarters building (apart from a main house) in Mississippi. That’s fitting, since Concord, the c.1790 home of… Read More ›
Natchez’ MLK Triangle: ‘Bookend’ for Redevelopment
This unpretentious little piece of real estate on the east side of downtown Natchez occupies a triangular section where M L King (formerly Pine) Street intersects with St. Catherine Street and Jefferson Street. This area has long been known as… Read More ›
Seven Mississippi Places Added to National Register
A multi-family antebellum slave dwelling in Natchez, an African American school and church, two residences, a farm, and a bus station have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
HABS in Mississippi: Jackson City Hall
Although the 1930s HABS “Data Sheet,” which noted historical information gathered in interviews with owners and local historians, often contained information that has since been proven erroneous, in the case of Jackson’s stunning Greek Revival-style City Hall, the 1936 HABS… Read More ›
Lost Mississippi: Glenwood
I am certain that long time Mississippians and those from Natchez are quite familiar with the story of Glenwood (aka “Goat Castle”), but I was surprised to find a 2-page spread in the Atlanta Constitution, February 24, 1941. As usual, it resulted… Read More ›
New Lease on Life for Rodney Presbyterian?
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 ›
News from Natchez
Last week several news stories from Natchez popped into my inbox, both of which contain good news for two iconic, and fire ravaged buildings. Firstly, after sixteen years, the Natchez Preservation Commission is moving forward with a legal battle to save… Read More ›
Abandoned Mississippi: I. Y. Johnson House, Aberdeen
Before I get started on the post, I would like to thank Jennifer Baughn, Chief Architectural Historian at the MDAH’s Historic Preservation Division for providing me with the historic sites survey form for the I. Y. Johnson House and for… Read More ›
Head out on the highway: Mississippi Tourist Guide, 1941
Although it seems like heading out on the highway has been a part of American life forever, in fact, it was only in the 1930s that a system of paved roads made it easy for average middle-class people to venture… Read More ›
HABS in Mississippi: Gwin House, Lexington
The Gwin House in Lexington is no longer standing and is somewhat of a mystery to me. The MDAH Historic Resources Database doesn’t have much to say about the two-story I-house with its one-story pedimented portico, but it does give… Read More ›
Holly Springs landmark damaged in storm
We received word from our friends at Preserve Marshall County and Holly Springs on Sunday that Chalmer’s Institute, an ongoing restoration project, was badly damaged in a storm that passed through Holly Springs on Saturday evening. Stay tuned to PMCHS’s… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 5-14-2018
Let’s jump right into today’s roundup. Starting in Tupelo, there is news of new Historic District zoning. The district would include a small portion of the Downtown Tupelo National Register Historic District, and link the downtown district to the Highland… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 5-8-2018
It has been a busy two weeks for the preservation world since our last roundup, so let’s jump right into today’s roundup. From Meridian comes an interesting story about the future of the city’s 1932 U.S. Post Office and Courthouse…. Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 4-23-2018
Last week’s Name This Place contest was a big success, thanks to all who participated. A big round of digital applause is due for our latest “Mississippi Preservationist Extraordinaire” ed polk douglas and W. White’s stalwart efforts pulling together entries… Read More ›
HABS in Mississippi: Rodney Presbyterian Church
As a reminder about the recent formation of the Rodney History and Preservation Society and how you might want to join in its mission to preserve remaining structures in historic Rodney, especially the Rodney Presbyterian Church, today’s HABS post is dedicated… Read More ›
HABS in Mississippi: Temple Heights, Columbus
Since Columbus has been the subject of several posts lately, I thought maybe we needed to bring up a few of the town’s most historic properties that the Historic American Building Survey (HABS) documented back in the 1930s. Maybe these… Read More ›
More Spring Things
As usual, our first “Things to Do This Spring” post just didn’t capture the full range of activities for Mississippi building huggers, so add some of these to your list if you’re in the vicinity of Oxford or Jackson or Natchez or even New Orleans!
MissPres News Roundup 3-20-2018
Just because we were on vacation last week didn’t stop the preservation news from coming. We’ve got a lot to catch up on. Remember you can catch the preservation news as it breaks in our Twitter sidebar to the right…. Read More ›
Friday Film: Prospect Hill, Jefferson County
Friday Film: Prospect Hill, Jefferson County
Henry Howard, Deep South Architect, at 200
A couple of weeks ago, our occasional correspondent, Hattiesburg-born architectural historian Ed Polk Douglas, reminded me that Feb. 8, 2018, was the 200th anniversary of the birth, in Ireland, of architect Henry Howard (1818-1884). Howard was based in New Orleans… Read More ›
Getting ready for Spring Pilgrimage(s)
My Japanese Magnolia’s buds are getting bigger, green shoots of daffodils have appeared, and my neighbors have started looking askance at my unraked yard–this can only mean one thing: spring is right around the corner, and here on MissPres, that… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 