MissPres readers, greetings from Alabama (the current location of yours truly). And here is the news. The Calhoun County Journal reports in the February 25 paper that Calhoun City is beginning a clean up effort of the Calhoun City Town… Read More ›
Mississippi Towns
Historic Sheetrock? You betcha!
Last week when I saw Kaitlin’s post called “Old Sheetrock?” over on Preservation in Pink, I sent the link off as quick as a wink to a friend of mine down on the Coast who just loves old sheetrock. In… Read More ›
The Old Benwalt Hotel Blows Its Top
I have a bit of fondness for architectural oddities, and the Benwalt Hotel in downtown Philadelphia, with its impressive Quonset Hut roof, was a definite Oddity when I took these pictures in 2006. Beneath that rather awkward veneer is a… Read More ›
William A. Stanton on Ceres Plantation
A reader who took a special interest in the Ceres Plantation story a few weeks ago headed over to the state archives building to do a little digging into the history of the place. After picking through the WPA records… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 3-5-2010
This is my first News Roundup. It will be longer than Malvaney’s News Roundups normally are as I have gathered news from the last several weeks from these papers. Many of these stories are from small town Mississippi newspapers, printing… Read More ›
Why I want to live at Hattiesburg’s Art Deco P.O.
As I was headed out of Hattiesburg a week or so ago–having taken my pictures of Eaton School and scowling about the lack of progress and initiative on that roof (still haven’t heard an update, but I hope somebody finally… Read More ›
Meridian in the Beginning: Avery House
A while back, I ran a post lauding city directories and especially the 1889 Meridian directory that included a section called “Metropolis of the Southwest” with beautiful line drawings of landmarks in the boom town that was Meridian in the… Read More ›
Things to do this Spring
Maybe these last couple of sunny, on-the-cusp-of-Spring days have given you Spring Fever. If so, I’m here to help. Spring Pilgrimage If you’re in Mississippi and it’s March, you know that a Spring Pilgrimage can’t be far behind. It took… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 2-26-2010
I can’t believe it’s the end of February! I keep thinking Spring should be in the air, but so far, other than the birds that have come back to make their nest under my window awning, I can’t see the… Read More ›
Architect Pics: Claude H. Lindsley
I admit to being especially fascinated by Mississippi architect C.H. Lindsley: he came up apparently without any formal architectural training, designed two of the state’s most prominent skyscrapers when barely 30–the Tower Building (Standard Life) in Jackson and the Threefoot… Read More ›
Still No Roof on Eaton School
Note: This post has been heavily modified to remove strong language. Driving past Hattiesburg yesterday under a brooding sky, I decided to swing by Eaton School, which I supposed must have a new roof by now, given that the Hattiesburg… Read More ›
Reflections On A Success Story
As I swung open the doors at 235 West Capitol Street on the 4th of January, 2010, I could barely contain myself. The once rotten shell of the King Edward had become a shining beacon of light and warmth. As… Read More ›
Pigeons to Pearls…The King Edward Flies Again
Thursday, the 17th of December, 2009, was an important day for downtown Jackson. Developer David Watkins snipped a scarlet ribbon and the King Edward was back in business after forty-three years of solitude. Arduous as the task was, Watkins and… Read More ›
Ceres Plantation Update
Since we won’t be having a news roundup this week, I wanted to get this link out to those of you following the Ceres Plantation saga in Warren County. As you remember, the Warren County Port Commission owns the property… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 2-12-2010
Can we hope for a snowy Friday? Or better yet, a snowed-in Friday when I can rise from my bed, take a peek out the window to assess the state of the streets, and decide that the wisest course of… Read More ›
A Trip To Greenville
On one of these dreary winter days we’ve been having this year, I took a drive with an old friend up to Greenville. We went the back way, which I loved–through the deep woods of Yazoo County, over the Yazoo… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-29-2010
It’s hard to believe the end of January is already here. Seems like just yesterday, I was sitting looking at my Christmas tree. Oh, actually, it was just yesterday. Hey, what can I say–I am not bound by the strict… Read More ›
The Story of Mississippi’s New Capitol: Barnes and Link report in
Well, here we are at the end of this four-part series looking back to when the New Capitol was taking shape there on its double block on the north side of town. Today, the two reports mentioned in yesterday’s post,… Read More ›
The Story of Mississippi’s New Capitol: Git-R-Done
Here’s the third part of the always-exciting “Report of the State House Commission to the Legislature of Mississippi, 1902.” If you’re coming in late, pick up Part 1, in which the commission hires an architect, and Part 2, where the… Read More ›
The Story of Mississippi’s New Capitol: Hiring the contractor
Continuing our reading in the “Report of the State House Commission to the Legislature of Mississippi, 1902” . . . In yesterday’s post, we saw the formation of the State House Commission and their almost superhuman speed in hiring an… Read More ›
The Story of Mississippi’s New Capitol: Hiring an architect
Back in December, I mentioned in “More Architect/Builder Pics: Link and Barnes” that I wanted to post more about the New Capitol and how it came to be. That will be our project for this week. Tucked at the back… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-22-2010
I’m always nervous to report a slow news week for fear I’ve missed something important, but I have full confidence that if I do fail miserably at my reportorial task, diligent MissPresers will set me right as quick as a… Read More ›
What I really meant was Mendenhall Elementary
In case you missed my correction to last Friday’s News Roundup, I mistakenly stated that Magee Elementary School was threatened with demolition, when in fact the caption in the Magee Courier’s article clearly stated it was Mendenhall Elementary. Because I… Read More ›
MissPres News Roundup 1-15-2010
As much as it seems hard to believe while watching the human and structural devastation in Haiti, other events that affect our own little postage stamp have been going on this week. —————————————————- In Hattiesburg, the old high school is… Read More ›
Before and After: Mississippi Coliseum
I know you’re all pondering yesterday’s ponderous post, so today I thought I’d go easy on you with just a couple of pictures. Besides that, my snug little historic house in Fondren is currently suffering a drought of sorts, due… Read More ›
Patience, Grasshopper
I’ve thought alot about the King Edward lately, as much about the preservation story of the last 40 years than about the recent grand re-opening. I realize that it’s dangerous to use the King Edward story as a model for… Read More ›
Preservation in Mississippi 