Last week, reader Carl mentioned the Avalon Motor Lodge in Biloxi and wondered about the history. I could not turn up much, but located an article about renovating the Avalon with “Stonekote–a veneer of stone-like material that encases the building… Read More ›
Historic Preservation
Top 11 MissPres posts written in 2015
Before we get too far into 2016, let’s take a look back at the most popular posts written during 2015. If you missed any of these posts now would be a good chance to catch up. If you remember them,… Read More ›
Suzassippi’s Mississippi: Rural Gymnasiums
The Hickory Flat (Benton County) gymnasium was constructed c. 1948 according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Historic Resources Inventory. During the 1930s, …rural schools grew into small villages composed of several buildings dedicated to specialized purposes, most… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Carrollton Community House
Carrollton’s rustic style community house was constructed of native pine logs in 1935-1936 by the Works Progress Administration. Carroll Van West, who has documented a number of New Deal Administration works in Tennessee, indicates that the two primary architectural styles… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-18-2016
Once again, the News Roundup will start in the southwest part of the state, in Natchez. “Tour opens possibilities downtown” states that the Possibilities Tour (which I reported on in the first News Roundup of the year) brought various interested… Read More ›
Bungalows in the Historic American Buildings Survey
Today’s post combines two recent series here on MissPres: bungalows and structures documented by the National Park Service’s Historic American Building Survey (HABS). I ran across this interesting page maintained by the Library of Congress. It highlights a cross section… Read More ›
Water Rising in Rodney
According to Walt Grayson’s Facebook post, the Mississippi River is expected to crest this week at Rodney, where the water was already inside Mt. Zion Baptist Church on Sunday.
MissPres News Roundup 1-11-2016
This week we are beginning the News Roundup in the non-Natchez Southwestern part of this state, specifically in Brookhaven, which has a few articles of interest. The first Brookhaven Daily Leader article is from January 7, “No longer on the… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Carthage Elementary School
After the recent news of demolished historic buildings, and possible demolition and demolition-by-neglect stories, and the buildings that were lost in 2015, it is always a pleasure to provide a deserving round of applause and highlight the accomplishments of a… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-4-2016
Happy New Year to the MissPres community on our first News Roundup of 2016. Some of you may remember that I used to do the News Roundups a few years ago. Doing News Roundups in 2016 is more difficult than… Read More ›
2015 Annual Report
As we bid adieu to 2015, and march toward this little blog’s 7th anniversary in February, let’s take inventory of how MissPres did this last year. Our big milestone was reaching 1 million views, which would have been exciting, but… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Teacherage in Hickory Flat
In a follow up from last week’s visit to the Hickory Flat cafeteria constructed by the National Youth Administration in 1939, we are still on campus. A short walk from the cafeteria building, one teacherage of the two constructed by… Read More ›
Happy Hanukkah Y’all! 2015
Looking back at Hanukkahs past, before looking forward…. Hanukkah 2014 and Chris Risher’s beautiful temple both celebrated the Temple Beth Israel in Meridian. For Hanukkah in 2012 we looked at not only some of the historic sacred places across the state, but also at buildings… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Hickory Flat Cafeteria
The cafeteria for the Hickory Flat school (located in Benton County, north Mississippi) was constructed by the National Youth Administration in 1939. If you wonder what the building looked like as constructed, just look below. Other than the center double… Read More ›
Rathbone Debuys Bank Identified
Recently the Tulane Southeastern Architectural Archives blog featured a post about the time-saving office of New Orleans architect Rathbone DeBuys. In addition to having a pretty swell name, Rathbone Debuys was a pretty smart fellow, having several degrees from Tulane… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Former Old Salem High School and Vocational Building
Old Salem High School and Vocational Building were both constructed by the National Youth Administration for African American students, in the Ashland vicinity, Benton County. Construction was complete by 1941. Photographs taken in 1956 by J. H. Phay can be… Read More ›
Giving Thanks 2015
Windsor ruins as seen in To Natchez and Back. Drew grain elevator as seen in Quaker Oats in the Delta. 100 Men Hall as seen in Bay St. Louis has a New Blues Trail Marker. Thanksgivings past: 2010 2009… Read More ›
Weather Takes Down Two Okolona Buildings
Two historic buildings in downtown Okolona, the old Merchants & Farmers Bank and its next-door neighbor, met their demise in the bad weather on Tuesday night, according to WTVA. A third building, dating to the 1880s, appears to be in a… Read More ›
Not Good News from Hattiesburg
Rainy weather last weekend cast a pallor that hung over Hattiesburg and provided a mood to match the endangered condition of several of that fair city’s landmark structures. Easton School having been victim of years of neglect by the City of Hattiesburg is… Read More ›
Suzassippi’s Mississippi: The Folk Tradition of Gravehouses
The recent post from Thomas Rosell about Biloxi cemetery canopies, and W. White’s follow up comments about gravehouses inspired me to further investigate this new-to-me phenomenon of southern folk culture. There are three earlier cultural traditions that may have influenced… Read More ›
New Deal in Mississippi: Leake County Courthouse
The Leake County Courthouse in Carthage is unique in that the entrances are on the narrow ends of the building. The courthouse square is a long narrow lot in the center of the town. I do not recall seeing another… Read More ›
Going Inside: Cotton Warehouse, c.1940
It’s that time of year when the cotton has been brought in from the fields, which now look a bit bereft and battered. Cotton warehouses are scattered all over the state (last time I was in Holly Springs, the massive… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 10-27-2015
Due to an unexpected power outage this weekend, just as I was beginning to think about putting together an overdue news roundup, this roundup is filling Suzassippi’s usual Tuesday slot. Following up on last month’s exciting announcement about a new… Read More ›
MHT Announces Mississippi’s 10 Most Endangered Places for 2015-2016
MHT’s 10 Most Endangered Places unveiling for 2015 came off without a hitch at MHT’s Lowry House, still under construction but looking pretty spiffy. This was the 10th unveiling since the list was introduced in 1999, meaning that we have reached… Read More ›
Exhibition of the Architecture of Carl E. Matthes Sr.
The Local History & Genealogy Department of the Harrison County Library System is currently showing an exhibit on the works of Carl E. Matthes, Sr. (1896-1972). The exhibit features many newspaper clippings, photographs, and original plans from both Matthes’ independent practice and… Read More ›
Almost Time for 10 Most!
On Thursday, October 22, the Mississippi Heritage Trust will announce the 10th list of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi at the Lowry House in Jackson, once endangered and now undergoing an extensive restoration. The Mississippi Heritage Trust… Read More ›
Then & Now: Sheraton Motor Inn
Today’s Then and Now is a lesson in the life-cycle of hotels in our throw-away society. If you’ve driven down I-55 in Jackson recently, you’ve seen the former Sheraton Motor Inn just north of the Northside Drive exit, but you… Read More ›