As of this morning, the forecast is for snow, snow! in Jackson tonight. The best snow is the kind that comes and puts a nice quiet blanket on everything, and then goes away after enough time for everyone to get out… Read More ›
Historic Preservation
Why Preserve?
An article titled “Why should ‘heritage’ be preserved?” popped up on my screen a couple of weeks ago, just before I went on my little Thanksgiving vacation, but I haven’t known quite what to say about it, so I’ve been trying to… Read More ›
Overly Loved Historic Buildings
I had a chance to go through lots of photos I’ve taken on my recent jaunts around the state, and I thought now might be a good time to bring up the topic of good intentions and how they pave the road to . . . well, to be blunt, Hades. I refer particularly to the state of being “loved to death” and how this sometimes happens to our beloved historic buildings around the state.
MissPres News Roundup 11-20-2009
Well, here we are at Friday again–thank goodness! And next week is Thanksgiving, so it’s a short week for some, a long week for those with visitors staying in their homes. But I digress. Let’s look around for some news…. Read More ›
The Edgewater Gulf Hotel, Queen of the Coast
If one hotel alone were to capture the spirit and grandeur of the faded elegance of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the Edgewater Gulf would likely be the candidate for the honor. On February 26, 1926, ground was broken for the… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 11-13-2009
Ok, the pressure’s on. Must compete with MHT’s Facebook page. Must compete with MHT’s Facebook page. Must be witty and not grumpy, a beam of sunshine in an otherwise dark and cruel world. And I can do it! Because I’m… Read More ›
MHT Joins Facebook
As of two weeks ago, the Mississippi Heritage Trust has a page on Facebook and already has 62 fans. The page is viewable by both Facebookers and non-Facebookers alike, so you have no reason not to check it out. It… Read More ›
Hinds County Armory Shamefully Neglected
Those of you who have visited the Mississippi State Fair might have noticed an exotic brick building with gothic arches off to the side near High Street in Jackson. This is the old Hinds County Armory, built in 1927 and… Read More ›
SESAH’s Bus Tour: Beyond Greek Revival
Ok, I promised to post a few pictures from SESAH’s Saturday bus tour of Jackson, called “Beyond Greek Revival.” The weather did a wonderful about-face overnight from the rainy dreariness of Friday to a brilliant sunshiny Saturday, and it was… Read More ›
Notes on SESAH’s Keynote
Friday evening’s SESAH keynote lecture was co-hosted by MSU’s College of Architecture, Art + Design (CAAD), and I was glad to see a number of local architects in the crowd, along with a few young people who I presume were students… Read More ›
Rosemont Plantation
According to the National Register nomination, prepared in 1974, Rosemont Plantation was built ca. 1810 by Samuel and Jane Davis when they moved from Fairview, Kentucky to Wilkinson County, Mississippi with a two year old Jefferson Davis. The house is… Read More ›
Woodville…A Stroll Around Town
Woodville’s considerable charms extend well beyond the square. Walk one block east on Bank Street to Church Street to find the essence of Southern-ness. Having lived in the rectory of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for many years myself, I can… Read More ›
Woodville…A Town Out of Time
Tucked away in the southwestern corner of Mississippi below Natchez lies Woodville, a relatively undiscovered town of considerable charm. Woodville is the county seat and traditional market town of Wilkinson County. While the county was founded in 1802, the town wasn’t… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 10-16-2009
After this week of almost constant rain, I suggest we pass a law allowing the whole country to stay home during such weeks. The rain is pleasant if you can stay home and lounge about, but tiresome when you have to… Read More ›
The Tivoli Hotel in Biloxi….The One That Got Away….
Of all the jarring and tragic images which poured forth in a torrent in the aftermath of Katrina, among the most poignant were those of the ruins of the Tivoli Hotel. The gaping holes in the building immediately told a… Read More ›
Acona Church and School, Holmes County
I saw so much last Saturday when I went up to the Carrollton Pilgrimage, I’m still sorting through all the pictures I took. Whenever I drive up to Carrollton, I like to swing off of I-55 and hit Hwy 17… Read More ›
Cruisin’ Downtown Ocean Springs
OK, so it’s not historic preservation, but anyone who likes old houses would have to enjoy the thrill of being surrounded by antique autos. I think some of the same things that attract us to historic buildings-craftsmanship, quality materials, attention to… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 10-9-2009
Another Friday, another news roundup. Last week I observed that fall was in the air. As of today, I temporarily retract that statement. The first newsy item I should mention is that we have another new contributor to our little… Read More ›
Speaking of Churches
While I was writing yesterday’s post on Carrollton’s churches, I came across a review of a book about Mississippi churches that I keep close at hand as a reference, Historic Churches of Mississippi. Published by University Press of Mississippi in… Read More ›
A Pilgrimage to Carrollton’s Churches
Strangely enough, while James Clark Harris did alot of design and construction work in Carrollton, it doesn’t appear that he was the architect or builder for any of the historic churches in town. He did design the Teoc Presbyterian Church,… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 10-2-2009
Fall is in the air, and today’s News Roundup Theme Song is “Time to Say Goodbye.” I didn’t find much actual newspaper news this week, so our roundup will be a little more prosey. There was a nice pro-preservation article… Read More ›
The Gavel Pounds for the Eola
The Eola Hotel in downtown Natchez is heading for the auction block in November (“Eola Hotel on Auction Block,” Natchez Democrat, Sept. 25, 2009). While this may appear to be cause for alarm, it may well be cause for celebration… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 9-18-2009
This week’s News Roundup theme song is “Gulf Coast Highway.” If you’re the kind of person who sits around thinking, “I wonder what in the world is going on in the world of old historical buildings in Mississippi,” then stick… Read More ›
Remembering the Heidelberg
Mississippi State University Digital Archive CHARM Collection. Rand Clayton Papers. Photographer unknown. Taken 1963- date of subject is likely earlier. The image has been colorized. B/W original The Hotel Heidelberg was a fixture on Capitol Street for fifty five years. The … Read More ›
A Few Fall Happenings
Carrollton Pilgrimage A colleague showed me a nice little brochure yesterday for the Carrollton Pilgrimage and I wanted to make sure all MissPres readers got the news right away so you could plan ahead. Seems that for the first time maybe in… Read More ›
King Edward Update
And now, what you’ve all been waiting for . . . As mentioned several times in the last week, one of the prime attractions at this year’s 10 Most Endangered List Unveiling was a chance to peak inside the King… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 