Well, other than an ongoing gusher of oil spilling into our Gulf, destroying wildlife, killing my redfish, fouling beaches and marshes, and an early-season hurricane washing it all in faster, what else has been going on in our Magnolia State… Read More ›
Mississippi Towns
Now-angry buildings were once carefree mid-century moderns
Yesterday’s picture of the former Petroleum Building in Jackson brought out the inner-Modernists in all of us, a fun jaunt back to a time when colorful buildings were considered not only fashionable but suitable for the headquarters of an oil… Read More ›
Building in Disguise
Tons of MissPres brownie points to whoever can identify this building in downtown Jackson. Hint: It’s very well disguised.
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 ›
Mississippi Architect: First Federal Savings & Loan, Jackson
Still in the inaugural issue of Mississippi Architect, March 1963, which we introduced with Bob Henry’s first editorial, about the architectural profession, yesterday. Today we’ll pass along the first building profile, which I love for many reasons: it’s an R.W…. Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 6-18-2010
I’ve had a busy week, and just as I sat down to write this News Roundup, my neighbor came over and sat with me chatting on my front porch for two hours straight, which was great fun, but I apologize… Read More ›
Checking in on Ocean Springs
This post is a bit of catch-up from a quick trip I took to Ocean Springs right before my trip to France–I forgot that I hadn’t posted the pictures I took that day of three important repair and rehab projects… Read More ›
Newspaper Clippings: Taborian Hospital
As you may recall from Monday’s post, I mentioned that the same African American architectural firm that designed the Carnegie building at Mississippi Industrial College, McKissack & McKissack, also designed the Taborian Hospital in Mound Bayou, opened in 1942. The… 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 ›
MissPres News Roundup 6-11-2010
Summer’s heating up as it always does in Mississippi, and as always, we seem surprised by how hot and muggy it all is. Just think, only three or four more months and it will be in the 80s. The heat… Read More ›
Modernist Gems in . . . Booneville?
Well, I didn’t start out the week with intention of having a Modernism theme, but since we’ve had three days of it, it just seems right throw in some pictures I took a few months ago on a road trip… Read More ›
Lustron House in Jackson
Just around the corner from the classically proportioned J.R. Flint house designed by A. Hays Town in south Jackson is a house that makes no bones about its modernity. It’s a Lustron House, one of only two or three that… Read More ›
The Beauty of Modernist Storefronts
I admit I sometimes spend a good amount of money on a book that 99.999% of the population wouldn’t pay two cents for. I found one such book on a trip to Cincinnati a while back. Published in 1946, it’s… Read More ›
Lost Mississippi: International Style House, Waveland
I don’t know as much about today’s Lost Mississippi subject as I usually try to when posting. But an archivist friend of mine (always make friends with the archivists) sent me a copy of this International-style house in Waveland from… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 6-4-2010
As you all no doubt remember, God made Fridays for News Roundups, but I’ve been off-kilter the last couple of months since being abandoned by formerly trusty W. White and have just been posting roundups on any ol’ day of… Read More ›
J.R. Flint House by Hays Town in South Jackson
A while back, regular commenter Carunzel (although come to think of it, where is Carunzel lately?) pointed out a little publication hidden away in the state archives that turned out to be a gem. Titled Builders of Mississippi and published… Read More ›
To Natchez and Back
Last weekend, my parents and my two Chicago aunts came to visit me, or I should say they came to visit Natchez and let me come along as a tour guide. My aunts were intent on seeing some of the… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 6-1-2010
Ok, I think I published this post accidentally in draft form not once but twice, so if some of y’all read it in its unfinished state, please excuse my recent bumbling. Things have been hopping round these parts the last… Read More ›
Memorial Day 2010
Confederate Graves, Friendship Cemetery, Columbus MS Originally uploaded by Deep Fried Kudzu
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 ›
Some Early Sources About Mississippi Architecture
I’ve been spending alot of time on a website that is one of my favorites and also a nemesis, abebooks.com, which combines the databases of hundreds or thousands of used bookstores around the world. I enjoy seeing what pops up… 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 ›
Threefoot Building on National Trust’s 2010 11 Most Endangered List
For those who haven’t heard, the National Trust announced its 2010 11 Most Endangered List today, and Meridian’s Threefoot Building made the list. It’s a dubious honor of course, but we can hope that the national attention to one of… Read More ›
Pleasure Domes Past…Biloxi’s Broadwater Beach
Only the tattered remains of an elaborate marina today mark the site of one of Biloxi’s largest and most famous resort complexes. The Broadwater Beach holds a firm place in the memory of many a resident of the area, but… Read More ›
Update on Mississippi Industrial College (it’s not good)
As you may recall, Cathrine Hall, one of the several historic buildings left on the amazing but vacant Mississippi Industrial College in Holly Springs, suffered a partial collapse last June (2009). That news came to me word-of-mouth, and I’ve never… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 