I think we’ve set a record for most News Roundups in two weeks (four total). This puts us in fine shape to take next week off for a little contest. Yes, MissPresers, you heard right! It’s been almost four months… Read More ›
Historic Preservation
Claude H. Lindsley alive and well… in 1968
In a previous post there had been some discussion of what happened to Claude Lindsley, Jackson architect of the Art Deco Standard Life Building (among many other landmarks), later on in his life. He moved from Houston, Texas some time in the 1950’s… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 8-30-2010
This News Roundup will cover some new news and some of the older news that I could not fit into the last Roundup. And here is the news. Let’s start this News Roundup with news from Starkville, an area that… Read More ›
MissPres Blog Roundup 8-27-2010
Time for another look around at the blogosphere: Imagine my surprise to see a post titled “Mississippi Gulf Coast Architecture” on the Preservation in Pink blog, which is normally focused more on North Carolina and now New England. The post… Read More ›
Possible New Historic District Near Pass Christian
Last week the Department of Archives and History held a public meeting in the Pineville Community just north of Pass Christian to discuss a new historic district along Menge Avenue. The meeting was held at Oak Crest on Menge Avenue, a 1920 two-story Neoclassical manor that now… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 8-20-2010
Three weeks of August down, only one and a little bit to go. We can do it, y’all! This week’s roundup has lots of national stories in it, I don’t know why. ————————————- NPR had a fascinating story on All… Read More ›
Concrete Block Structures of Biloxi
While concrete block has been around for thousands of years it did not become widely accepted as a quality building material in North America until the turn of the 20th century. This general acceptance came about as the manufacturing process… Read More ›
Newspaper Clippings: Save Downtown Jackson
We haven’t done a newspaper clipping post in a while, and given yesterday’s post about the Naval Reserve Center down by the fairgrounds in downtown Jackson, I thought this one would be appropriate. First some context: when we walk down… Read More ›
Demolition begins on Jackson’s Naval Reserve Center
Workers have been spotted at the Naval Reserve Center behind the Old Capitol in Jackson over the last week removing windows, interior debris, and sections of the rear wings in preparation for the demolition of most of the rear wings… Read More ›
Blog Roundup 7-26-2010
I think the blog roundup will become a regular feature, not every week but enough to start designating it with a date like the news roundups. I hope these links help pull together lots of good blog posts you might… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 7-23-2010
Let’s keep one eye on Bonnie and the other eye on the preservation news around the state. And those of us who wear glasses will still have two more eyes to, like, avoid marauding oil splotches, watch tv, read a… Read More ›
The Rebirth of the Old Pascagoula High School
Today I’m happy to announce another new author to the MissPres universe. T.J. Rosell will bring his coastal perspective to bear on the discussion, and has a special interest in the construction trades and materials. Thomas, as he is also… Read More ›
Unsheathing the Past…The Checkered History of the Walthall Hotel
Jackson’s Walthall Hotel opened its doors in the spring of 1929. Named for Confederate General Edward Cary Walthall, the hotel opened as an eight story building on Jackson’s bustling Capitol Street, just a few steps away from the Governor’s Mansion…. Read More ›
Why you should never put Dryvit on your building
I know it kind of looks like stucco, but underneath that little thin layer, it’s STYROFOAM. Why would you cover your building in styrofoam??
William Faulkner and Preservation, part two
In the work of William Faulkner—in its resonances of history, place, and memory—I have found much to help me understand my own relation to history and place. In the hope that it will be of interest to those involved in… Read More ›
William Faulkner and Preservation, part one
In the work of William Faulkner—in its resonances of history, place, and memory—I have found much to help me understand my own relation to history and place. In the hope that it will be of interest to those involved in… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 6-25-2010
It’s the last Friday of a hot and steamy Mississippi June, which means it’s time for another news roundup. Things have been hopping out there, so let’s get started. An update on the ongoing renovations of the “Lil’ Red Schoolhouse”… Read More ›
What’s going on at the Naval Reserve Center?
Well, I’ve been in denial about the Naval Reserve Center and the tales of partial demolition for an MDAH records center. For one thing, the project made no sense from an economic perspective: why would you spend $4 million to… Read More ›
Virtual Worlds and Preservation
The summer issue of The American Scholar arrived in my mail slot a day late. You might wonder why I receive a publication called The American Scholar. Well, I am American, so one out of three ain’t bad. I was… Read More ›
Petition to Landmark River Road in Lawrence County
I received a request from Mr. Bo Bourne of the Preserve River Road group down in Lawrence County to spread the word about an online petition they’d like interested MissPresers to sign. This petition will be presented to the Mississippi… Read More ›
Not just another post about Mississippi Industrial College
Lots of people responded to last month’s post documenting the continuing and accelerating decline of Catherine Hall and the other landmark buildings at the old Mississippi Industrial College campus in Holly Springs, now owned by Rust College. One person who… Read More ›
Some Sunday Afternoon Reading
Best read while sitting on the porch with a cool beverage: “Ghosts of New York“, Atlantic (June 2010): About architectural ornament salvaged from the demolition sites of the 1950s and 60s, now sitting in the back yard of the Brooklyn… Read More ›
Whistling Past Eaton School
I know I owe y’all a News Roundup, but that’s going to have to wait until Monday due to my house being invaded by all sorts of relatives; friendly relatives, but still not conducive to blog posting. Instead, can we… Read More ›
An Alabama-Mississippi Architectural Partnership
Multiple times on Preservation in Mississippi, the Meridian City Hall has been discussed. We all know that it was designed by preeminent Meridian architect P. J. Krouse. Or do we? Well, yes he designed it but the story is much… Read More ›
St. Peter’s scaffolding comes down
If you’ve been in downtown Jackson in the last 6 months or so, you’ve probably noticed that the steeple and tower of the Cathedral of St. Peter’s have been encased in scaffolding.The steeple was damaged by the high winds of… Read More ›
Interesting federal projects a-doing in DC
I just got back from a quick trip to the Vernacular Architecture Forum annual meeting in Washington DC (when I left MS it was kind of coolish; I returned to full-fledged summer). This year’s meeting included an optional all-day tour… Read More ›
Historic Preservation: A Remembrance of First Principles, part II
In Part I, I sketched out the key concerns of preservation. Beyond simply saving bricks and mortar it is a call to roots, to first principles, to the understanding that, although we are individuals, we are part of larger communities… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 