Lets jump right in, feet first to this week’s roundup. The big news this past week was in the City of Clinton where a property owner faces more than 1,400 code violations to historic buildings. The city is pulling no… Read More ›
Mississippi Towns
MissPres at 8: Oh Bilbo, where are our columns?
Today is the last in our four-part 8th blog birthday series about the renovation of our Old Capitol in 1916-17, as recalled in 1949 by the assistant secretary to the Capitol Commission, A.S. Coody. This project saved this important and… Read More ›
MissPres at 8: Spiral staircases and magnificent timbers
As you read today’s post, the third in a four-part series celebrating Preservation in Mississippi’s 8th birthday, remember that this article, “Repair of and Changes in the Old Capitol,” was written by A.S. Coody in 1949. This section of the… Read More ›
Two Restoration Projects Out for Bids
We had some good news come to the MissPres inbox this week. From the Durant Historic Preservation Commission members, of Durant in Holmes County, Mississippi. They are happy to announce that they have qualified for the Authority To Advertise For Bids with MDOT… Read More ›
MissPres at 8: It seems to have been generally accepted that the old capitol could not be restored.
Yesterday’s post began our special birthweek series, a partial reprint of A.S. Coody’s 1949 article “Repair of and Changes in the Old Capitol.” We cut him off in the middle of a long section called “The Movement for Restoration,” just after… Read More ›
MissPres at 8: Repairing the Old Capitol, 1916-1917
The movement for a “restoration” of the old state house was begun in 1903. The proposal was that the building be restored to its original condition and used as an historic landmark, possibly by the Department of Archives and History. The reports of architects who examined the building were adverse, and it was accepted as true that the building was dangerous, and likely to collapse at any time.
MissPres News Roundup 2-6-2017
Lets jump right into this week’s roundup. We designated 38 communities as Certified Local Governments to help w/ historic preservation guidance and grants https://t.co/ubhnMyni8x pic.twitter.com/tn8FBPUKt8 — NationalParkService (@NatlParkService) January 31, 2017 The big news in Booneville this week is the National Park… Read More ›
Mississippi Streets: Holly Springs, 1857
Today’s Mississippi Streets image of downtown Holly Springs in 1854 1857 may contain the oldest photographic image ever on Preservation in Mississippi. It was passed on to me by Chelius Carter, who got permission to send it from the owner Henry… Read More ›
Industrial Mississippi: Marquette Cement Manufacturing, Brandon
A couple of weeks ago I was able to attend the first History Is Lunch program here in Jackson, entitled “Rankin County Re-Photographed” by Paul Davis. Over the years, Davis has found old photos of places and people in Rankin… Read More ›
Architectural Word(s) of the Week: Brick Face Names
This is sort of a word of the week post. Below is a chart that defines the name of different faces that a brick can be laid. Having this handy chart will help decipher today’s post. A while back I… Read More ›
Meridian Trilogy: Part III
If you have been following the Meridian Trilogy the past few weeks, you already know that Captain A. B. Avery’s house was located at 603 North 25th Avenue, and that by 1912, the Sanborn map showed Meridian Medicine [sic] College… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-30-2017
Lets jump right in to this week’s roundup. In Hattiesburg, concerning statements were made about some of the oldest buildings on the campus of William Carey University. The Hattiesburg American reported University President Tommy King said “…this morning’s review showed they might… Read More ›
Small Homes in the New Tradition: Weekend Cottage near Jackson, Mississippi (Champion Lodge), Robert Overstreet, Architect
The benefit to constantly looking for architectural history books to add to my library is that I never know exactly what I will come across next. In this case, it is a (rather beat-up copy) of Small Homes in the… Read More ›
Builders of Mississippi: John Lee Webb (1877-1946)
John Lee Webb was born in Alabama either in Tuskegee, Macon County, on September 11, 1877 or in Talladaga, Talladaga County, on September 17, 1877, depending on your source. He volunteered for service in the Spanish-American War, being discharged as a… Read More ›
Preservation Presentations This Week
Here is a reminder about two free preservation related lectures that are taking place this week.
MissPres News Roundup 1-23-2017
The leading news story this week is the deadly tornado that struck Hattiesburg & Petal Saturday night. The areas worst hit appear to be in south Hattiesburg around the campus of William Carey University, Edwards Street, and in Petal along… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi Historic Real Estate
One of the common complaints about historic preservationists from non-historic preservationists, particularly of the internet troll variety, is that if preservationists want to save something they should buy it or shut up about it. This is an ignorant, internet troll-ish… Read More ›
Meridian Demolitions and Why Ordinary Old Houses Almost No One Cares About Should Be Preserved
At the end of the WTOK News story about the demolition of the Old Citizens Bank Building at 2212-2214 Fourth Street in Meridian was a statement by Community Development Director Bunky Partridge, “Well, we’re always looking at our homes around… Read More ›
John Wellborn Root (1850 – 1891)
Last week marked the anniversaries of the life and death of Chicago architect John Wellborn Root (January 10, 1850 – January 15, 1891). Root, one-half of the renowned firm Burnham & Root, only has one documented commission in Mississippi, the… Read More ›
Trilogy for Meridian: Part II
For the first part of the Meridian Trilogy, check out Meridian: Part I. Standard Drug Company started out as Hopkins & Bethea, a small retail drug business established in 1900 on 22nd Avenue next to Weidmann’s Restaurant. According to Fonda… Read More ›
Medgar and Myrlie Evers House Now an NHL
The Secretary of the Interior announced yesterday that the Medgar and Myrlie Evers House, operated as a museum by Tougaloo College, has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, the highest honor for historic places. Here are the relevant bits… Read More ›
Mississippi Landmarks 2016
I had expected to get this post up when we were still in the year 2016, and I certainly didn’t think it would end up coming out in the second week of 2017, but this year’s list of new Mississippi Landmarks… Read More ›
A Trilogy for Meridian: Part I
It is a long journey to get from 603 25th Avenue at the Capt. A. B. Avery House in 1889 Meridian to end up at 601 25th Avenue and the former Standard Drug Company at the beginning of 2017. Along the… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-9-2017
Although I do not write very many posts on Preservation in Mississippi anymore, it is almost a tradition for me to begin the New Year with a News Roundup. It is a way to clear out the old news (generally… Read More ›
Auld Lang Syne: Friends We Lost in 2016
Raise a toast to absent friends and historic places we lost in 2016.
National Register 2016: Historic Districts
In last year’s National Register historic districts post, I noted that there were a number of historic districts written by FEMA and that 2016 was supposed to continue this trend. Sure enough, this year, four out of the six historic… Read More ›
National Register 2016: Individual Listings
National Register listings for 2016 vary from a rural African American store to an Illinois Central Depot in Durant to “The Hermitage” on the banks of Hobolochitto Creek in Picayune.
Preservation in Mississippi 