Elevation - The Journal of the Mississippi Heritage Trust - Winter 2016 by Webz Advertising

t h e Jo u r na l o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i H e r i tag e Tru s t

winter |

2016

SUPPORT INSPIRE ENRICH

The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is a state agency serving more than two million people through grants and special initiatives that enhance communities, assist artists and arts organizations, promote arts education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage.

Mississippi Arts Commission 501 N. West Street Woolfolk Building – Suite 1101A Jackson, MS 39201 www.arts.ms.gov

Established in 1968 by the state legislature, the MAC is the ofﬁcial grants-making and service agency for the arts in Mississippi. Funding for the MAC and its programs is provided by the State of Mississippi, the National Endowment for the Arts, and private sources.

contents the Journal of the M i s s i s s i p p i H e r i tag e Tru s t

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MHT’s 2016 Preservation Resolutions Celebrating New Members Join Us! Remembering Billy Beal, MHT Board Member and Friend The Mississippi Historic Tax Credit Makes a Difference 16 It Mattered Then - The E.E. Cooley Building at Mississippi State University 18 It Still Matters - New Life as The Mill at MSU 20 You Can Help MS MOD Preservation Roadtrip: Gateway to History MHT Heritage Awards ListenUp! Conference Worthy Preservation Project: St. Mary Community Heritage Preservation Grant Recipients Whole Places Diversifying Preservation in Mississippi It’s Really Happening A Toast to 10 Most 10 Most Update: Round Island Lighthouse Saved! Interior Design for Historic Buildings Building Stories: Mississippi Main Street Association Cheers to Preservation

MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST P.O. Box 577 • Jackson, MS 39205 PHONE (601) 354-0200 preservation@mississippiheritage.com www.mississippiheritage.com

We asked the Board of Trustees and staff to share with us their 2016

PRESERVATION RESOLUTIONS Pictured above: Erica Speed, Charles Clark, Martha Duvall, Susan Higgs, Andy O’Bryan, Robert Saarnio, Ken P’Pool, Lolly Barnes, Alon Bee, Annette Vise, Leah Kemp, Sarah Shefﬁeld, Stuart Rockoff, Bryan Pugh, Amber Lombardo and Carter Burns

I resolve to...

“Continue MHT’s work to connect people and resources to save historic places.” - Lolly Barnes “Continue Regions Bank’s work to support the restoration of important historic places like the Lowry House.” - Alon Bee

“Be a tourist in my own state and support historic sites by visiting more of them.” - Carter Burns “Work with the Scott-Ford House to recommend ways to preserve, restore, and promote this historic place on Farish Street in Jackson, teach a course on historic preservation at Jackson State University, serve on the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission and attend the 2016 National Trust for Historic Preservation conference in Houston.” - Rico Chapman

“Work with Delta State University Archives on record preservation, including putting material in the Mississippi Digital Library on the DoRo Cemetery near Beulah, which includes converting the material to a digital form and putting together some metadata to describe the content and its signiﬁcance.” - Charles Clark “Promote interest in preservation in younger generations and explore the possibility of a Historic Preservation program at a University level in Mississippi.” - Claire Cothren “Complete the initial work on the exterior of the Spain House in Tupelo and seek further funding to complete the additional needed exterior work, including windows, doors, removal of siding, painting and handicapped ramp.” - Doyce Deas “Protect the historic Mannsdale Livingston area and the intrinsic resources along our scenic byway, Gateway to History.” - Phyllis Doby

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“Complete the rehabilitation of the Denny-Khayat House in Moss Point’s Historic District and research its rich history since the original two rooms and ﬁreplace were built in 1874.” - Martha Duvall “Attend the Listen Up! Historic Preservation conference and Heritage Awards to learn a lot and to make some fabulous new friends.” - Susan Higgs “Help develop the Preservation Toolkit, making it a resource for anyone interested in preservation efforts in our state.” - Leah Kemp

“Develop the Historic Preservation Toolkit and deliver its content in a way that is engaging and motivates action.” - Amber Lombardo “Work closely with the Mississippi Heritage Trust and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History to educate communities on preservation issues, instilling a great preservation ethic in our certiﬁed Main Streets.” - Jan Miller

“Visit more of Mississippi’s historic sites and landmarks.” - Chris Myers “Kick off restoration of Greenville’s Mississippi Valley and Yazoo Railroad Depot.” - Benjy Nelken

“Undertake a major facade restoration on the historic Hendrick’s Machine Shop in Water Valley, which houses my company, Yalobusha Brewing Company.” - Andy O’Bryan “Participate in Greenwood Cemetery cleanup dates, as well as develop a onepager of preservation tips for cemeteries in the state.” - Swayze Pentecost

“Integrate four historic sites of Oxford (one National Historic Landmark, two State-registered sites, and one historic outbuilding) into a uniﬁed body of resources under the management of the City of Oxford Historic Sites Commission.” - Robert Saarnio “Request the Mississippi Legislature to introduce and pass a bill that would give more funding for the preservation and maintenance of historic structures in Mississippi.” - Sarah Shefﬁeld “Help make more people in the Delta region aware of historical properties that need saving.” - Lynn Shurden

“During this 50th anniversary year of the National Historic Preservation Act’s passage, I will work to encourage every Mississippi citizen to become more aware of how historic preservation has culturally enriched our state and economically beneﬁted our communities.” - Ken P’Pool

“Complete the restoration of the Lowry House and to use my experiences with this project to help some of our 10 Most Sites. Additionally, I would like to introduce as many new people to MHTs work by promoting membership and attendance at our various events in 2016.” - Erica Speed

“Complete the Lowry House and have full tenant occupancy.” - Brian Pugh

“Help save historic residences in Eupora’s deteriorated Adams Avenue District.” - Stephanie Stewart

“Keep working through the Mississippi Humanities Council to support the preservation and accurate and inclusive interpretation of historic structures in Mississippi.” - Stuart Rockoff “Continue updating my website, mississippimarkers.com, with photographs of historical markers from all 82 counties in Mississippi.” - Brother Rogers “Work to identify funding for the restoration of the Weschsler School in Meridian and rural sites in Lauderdale, Kemper and Neshoba counties and encourage visitors to Mississippi to stop and experience our varied, multi-cultural history.” - Janice Rogers

“Work toward greater outreach for handson preservation throughout the state. I feel like there is a need to empower property owners and communities with the technical know-how to help preserve through routine maintenance and repair.“ - Barry White “Complete the restoration of the Archibald McGehee Log Cabin at the the Babydoll House in Benoit, including chinking it and putting in window sashes.” - Eustace Winn

rustees T BOARD OF

Brian Pugh, President • Jackson

Doyce Deas, Vice President • Tupelo

Susan Higgs, Past President • Hattiesburg Stephanie Stewart, Treasurer • Eupora Martha Duvall, Secretary • Pascagoula Alon Bee • Jackson Katie Blount • Jackson Sidney Bondurant • Grenada Carter Burns • Jackson Rico Chapman • Jackson Charles Clark • Cleveland Claire Cothren • Natchez Phyllis Doby • Madison Darryl Grennell • Natchez Leah Kemp • Starkville Jan Miller • Columbus Chris Myers • Jackson Benjy Nelken • Greenville Andy O’Bryan • Water Valley Swayze Pentecost • Jackson Ken P’Pool • Jackson Christian Preus • Ocean Springs Stuart Rockoff • Jackson Brother Rogers • Starkville Janice Rogers • Tupelo Tom Rosenblatt • Woodville Robert Saarnio • Oxford Sarah Shefﬁeld • Yazoo City Lynn Shurden • Cleveland Annette Vise • Jackson Eustace Winn • Benoit

E L E VA T I O N

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P illars OF SUPPORT

CORINTHIAN ORDER STATE

MISSISSIPPI

MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT ARCHIVES AND HISTORY

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA NATIONAL PARK SERVICELOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER DELTA INITIATIVE

IONIC ORDER AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, MISSISSIPPI CHAPTER BAPTIST HEALTH SYSTEMS MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION MISSISSIPPI HUMANITIES COUNCIL NATIONAL TRUST

FOR

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

DORIC ORDER LOLLY

AND

CHRIS BARNES

JENNIFER

AND

DARRELL BAUGHN

ETHEL TRULY YALOBUSHA BREWING COMPANY

TUSCAN ORDER BLUE CROSS

AND

BLUE SHIELD

MISSISSIPPI

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF JACKSONSAINT THERESE AND SAINT MARY SUSAN HIGGS

AND

CHAD MILLER

PORTICO JACKSON EUGENE TULLOS

2016 MEMBERS BENEFACTOR

CONTRIBUTOR

Mimi and Charles Clark Martha Duvall Mr. and Mrs. William R. James Michelle and Briar Jones John A. Palmer Amy and Bart Shepherd-Allmand

Ann and Dale Abadie Melanie Allen Elizabeth and Warwick Alley Associated General Contractors of Mississippi, Inc. Jerry Bangham Katrina Black Shawn and David Brevard Leslie D. Bruning Claire and Elbert Hilliard Institute of Southern Jewish Life Susan Shands Jones Judy and Don Lacy Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain Honey and Larry May Marion J. McCraw Deirdre McGowan Jan Miller Camille and Bill Morris Stacy Pair Mr. and Mrs. William E. Parrish Andrea Pessoney Becky and Don Potts David Preziosi Anita and Charles Price Joy Saucier Emily Taff Wanda and Mike Thorne Bruce B. Tolar Janet M. Webb Sara J. Weisenberger Richard K. Werne Jay Wiener Yelverton Consulting, LLC

SUSTAINING Robert Parker Adams Donald A. Best Jane and Ray Britt Margaret and Brett Cupples Gale P. Cushman Mary Davidson Dunnell The T.H. Etheridge Trust Mary Sanders Ferriss Gulfport Main Street Association Barbaree Heaster Mr. and Mrs. G. Stevens Hollister Amber and Santi Lombardo Bill Luckett The Magnolia Luncheon Club Lanier H. McCullough Macon and Andy Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Bryan Don Potts Louis D. Rash Brother Rogers Betsy and Otis Rowell Philip A. Schaeffer Lynn Shurden Bessie and Leland Speed Erica and Stewart Speed Judy and Sandy Steckler Senith and Ancel Tipton Jan and Andrew Townes Annette Vise W.F.T. Architects Carla and Randall Wall Eva Read-Warden and Bob Warden Growth Alliance, West Point Main Street Rebecca and Mark Wiggs The Honorable and Mrs. William F. Winter Wilma and Bob Wilbanks Martha Kate and Billy Wiseman

FAMILY

INDIVIDUAL

Sally and Jeremy Birdsall Florence and Larry Box Sam O. Brookes Karan and Doug Christopher Isabel Clark Rachel and Christopher Cockern Victoria and Joshua Conway Robert J. Dowdle Joy and James Foy Cathy Giroux Sheila Grogran Justin Heskew John Hooks Ruby Hooks Stuart Hudnall Jennifer and Wesley Keyser Pam Lieb Monique and Terrence Mosley Lon and David O’Bryan R. Orﬁla Lisa and Linden Potts Gary Randall Allen Regan Eric Reisman Vivian and David Roach Mrs. Jimmie Rogers Lauren and Jim Rosenblatt Betty and Philip Shaw Mary Sue Spencer Stephanie and Bill Stewart Darlene and Keith Stuart Mary Love and Mike Tagert Lauren Chapman Thompson Eileen and David Threefoot Sandra and John Tipton Rufus Ward Mary Margaret and Barry White Kym and Clay Williams

John H. Barnes Michael A. Berk, AIA James Homer Best Richard Cawthon Sandy K. Cox Emma Crisler James Drennan Chip Estes Laura and David Flint Liz Ford Leon Grifﬁth Barbara L. Guy Julie Hall Stuart Hudnall James McGraw John S. McIntyre Kasey Mitchell Kathy Moody Etta Rester-Hicks Virginia S. Salmon Gail S. Tomlinson Jon C. Turner D. Tracy Ward, Architect Jeannie Zieren

taff S

Lolly Barnes • Executive Director Amber Lombardo • Director of Programs Erica Speed • Special Projects Coordinator

Pictured: Ruby Hooks, John Hooks, Lolly Barnes, Governor William F. Winter, Amber Lombardo and Erica Speed Photo courtesy of Josh Hailey E L E VA T I O N

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THE MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST WORKS TO SAVE AND RENEW PLACES MEANINGFUL TO

MISSISSIPPIANS AND THEIR HISTORY.

The Mississippi Heritage Trust fulﬁlls its mission through education, advocacy and active preservation using a range of programs and activities that reach communities throughout the state. MHT was established in 1992 to serve as a uniﬁed voice for preservation in Mississippi. MHT is a statewide partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

P rograms HISTORIC PLACES HAVE A

delightful

A conference for building huggers of all stripes about Mississippi’s treasured historic places and the stories they have to tell. www.listenUPms.com

Since 1999, MHT has worked with communities around the state to raise awareness about the threats facing many of our historic places. There have been some amazing victories but much work remains to be done. www.ms10most.com

M ost

ndangered Eistoric H P laces IN

MISSISSIPPI

At times misunderstood when constructed, modernist buildings are now considered the “new historic,” with a whole new audience of enthusiastic building huggers awakening to the creative spirit that is embodied in modernism. www.lovemsmod.com On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept through the Mississippi Gulf Coast, leaving a landscape of destruction. Read stories of loss, hope and triumph through overwhelming odds. www.savemyplacems.com 6

E L E VA T I O N

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Member BECOME A

FOR 2016

Become a card-carrying preservationist who is working to save and renew places meaningful to Mississippians and their history.

Name _________________________________________ Name as you wish it to appear in MHT materials ______________________________________________ Address _______________________________________ City _________________ State ______ Zip __________ Home ( ______ ) _______________________________ Work ( ______ ) _______________________________ E-mail ________________________________________

Method of Payment:

Join MHT today and become part of a network of card-carrying preservationists who are working to ensure the future of Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich architectural legacy.

PILLARS OF SUPPORT TUSCAN ORDER DORIC ORDER IONIC ORDER CORINTHIAN ORDER

$1,000 $2,500 $5,000 $10,000+

MEMBERS STUDENT $5 INDIVIDUAL $25 FAMILY $35 CONTRIBUTOR $50 SUSTAINING $100

Personal check # ________ enclosed (payable to Mississippi Heritage Trust) VISA/MC/Amex # ___________________________ Security Code _________ Exp ________________ Signature __________________________________ Amount $ __________________________________

Members at the Tuscan Order level and

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. Please send me more information.

above enjoy numerous

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS. For a comprehensive list of amenities, visit mississippiheritage.com for details.

FOR OFFICE USE ONLY REC ________________

Mail form and payment to: Mississippi Heritage Trust P.O. Box 577 Jackson, MS 39205 601-354-0200

NEO ________________ THX ________________

Join online at www.mississippiheritage.com. All gifts are tax deductible and will be applied toward membership.

www.mshumanities.org Keep up with us on Facebook.

Mississippi lost a true champion for preservation with the passing of Billy C. Beal on December 7, 2015 after an extensive illness. His generous and supportive spirit is deeply missed. Billy received his early education at St. Joseph Catholic School in Meridian and St. Augustine’s Seminary in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. He held an A.B. Degree from Loyola University of Chicago, Illinois, and an M.S. Degree in library science from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. After his academic studies, Billy returned to Meridian where he became circulation librarian at Meridian Community College. During his tenure at the college, he served as Self Study Title III director, acquisitions librarian, ACE-HEMI coordinator, computer-assisted instruction supervisor and head librarian as well as chairman of the Student Appeals Committee. He served with distinction as Dean of the College’s Learning Resource Center from 1992 until his appointment to Associate Vice President in August of 2014. His tenure at Meridian Community College lasted for 38 years and he was considered one of the state’s most respected learning resource officers. Billy was an active member of the American Library Association; a member of ACRL Community College Section, Chapter Council representative for the state of Mississippi, Social Responsibilities Roundtable, Black Caucus of ALA, where he served as a member of the Executive Board, member of the ByLaws committee; chairman of the E.J.

Josey Scholarship Committee and a life-long member of the Mississippi Library Association, serving as President of the Black Caucus Roundtable. As a worker in the community, he was a trustee for the Mississippi Heritage Trust, President of the Lauderdale County Mental Health Association, a founding member of the Meridian Council for the Arts and a former member of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra Board. He was also a board member of the Meridian Historic Foundation, which became the Grand Opera House, now known as the Mississippi State University Riley Center. At Saint Joseph Catholic Church, he served as organist and was previously on the Liturgy Committee. He has been the recipient of the John Johnson, Lamplighter and Employee of the Month Awards as well as being installed into the Talon Club, which salutes Meridian community College employees who have served the college for 30-plus years. He was also awarded the “Highest Flying Eagle Award,” which is the greatest achievement one can receive at MCC. Billy was a lover of arts and culture and a repository of family and local history. He codified Meridian’s Historic African American Business District, and championed preservation generally, citing with ease the historic signification of building and sites. Mississippi Heritage Trust will miss this friend of preservation. Article adapted from the memorial program at Saint Joseph Catholic Church.

B illy C. B eal July 23, 1948 - December 7, 2015

Life and Legacy

BANKING ON THE STORY OF THE KING EDWARD HOTEL is a twisty, turning path, starting

AMBER LOMBARDO

Amber is the Director of Programs at Mississippi Heritage Trust and owner of Webz Advertising. A native of Enterprise, Amber has a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Architecture, Civil Engineering and Marketing from Mississippi State University. She was a graduate and adjunct faculty at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, MS, where her passion for historic preservation began.

in 1861 when it was known as the “Confederate House” before General Sherman’s forces destroyed it during the Civil War in 1863. It was rebuilt over the following four years as a 3-story hotel and renamed “The Edwards House” and served as the epicenter of society and politics for forty years. The current 12-story beige brick structure replaced The Edwards House in 1923 and was renamed “The Edwards Hotel” as it grew in stature and prominence in the then-booming and bustling Jackson downtown. New Orleans architect William

Credit

Nolan designed the Beaux-Arts structure, featuring a limestone portico, pairs of Corinthian columns that supported a full entablature and balustrade. Three hundred rooms hosted weary guests in the height of luxurious amenities and aesthetic. In 1954, its new owner, Milner Enterprises, expanded and renovated the building, “modernizing” the rotunda, rooms, convention hall and swimming pool - obscuring some of the lovely original architectural details. Prominent political receptions, balls and social dinners enjoyed the grand, newly named “King Edward Hotel.” Sadly, the King Edward closed in 1967 and began

Photos courtesy of Mississippi Department of Archives and History / Jennifer Baughn, J. Rohl â&#x20AC;˘ MHT / Amber Lombardo

Top left: The King Edward Hotel in August 2006 before renovations began. Center: The lobby of the King Edward today. Top right: Porters stand ready to greet guests. Middle: The opening reception in December 2009 of the newly restored King Edward. Bottom: A display case highlights the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s storied past. E L E VA T I O N

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$59,894,173 IN STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDITS

in total economic output

$299,086,077

$148,478,800

Every $1 IN STATE HISTORIC TAX CREDIT

$6.00

Generated

of construction expenditures Leveraged

$5.71

of economic activity Contributed

$198,900,000

in historic rehabilitations

Generated in construction expenditures and full-time equivalent jobs

5,573

Contributed

Incentivized an investment of

Created

$432,500,000

$3.31

to gross state product

Attracted to Mississippi an additional in federal tax credits

$45,793,039

THE AVERAGE ANNUAL ALLOCATION OF STATE TAX CREDIT IS APPROXIMATELY

0.12% of average General Fund revenues

0.38% of state revenues from individual income tax

Enhanced in-state wealth by

$2.98

Leveraged

$2.90

in private investment Added

of state revenues from Corporate Income and Franchise taxes

$2.48

in labor income Attracted

$.80 of

federal historic tax credits 12

E L E VA T I O N

Data is from the Economic and Fiscal Effects of the Mississippi Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program by the John C. Stennis Institute of Government. Visit www. mississippiheritage.com to read the entire report.

t h e j o u r na l o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i H e r i tag e Tru s t

a long and bruising period of deterioration along with several blocks of nearby commerce that depended on its ability to attract guests. Vandals scrawled graffiti throughout and broke nearly every pane of glass. Stairs crumbled as water freely flowed through its once pristine corridors. For forty years it withered and flaked, floors caving and all manner of wildlife seeking shelter. Vines grew from the roof as mother earth slowly attempted to reclaim the grand old lady. Businesses all around closed one-by-one as interest in downtown Jackson waned. Thankfully, in December 2006, a group of insightful individuals banned together to pave a path towards renaissance for the derelict area of town. Watkins Partners, former New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister and Historic Restoration Inc. of New Orleans formed a partnership and the long road to restoration began in 2007. In December 2009, after an investment of $90 million, the newly restored King Edward once again welcomed guests in regal fashion as the Hilton Garden Inn, Jackson Downtown. Of the $90 million construction expense, approximately $75.8 million of the costs qualified as QREs (Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures), netting the partnership approximately $18.9 million (25% of the QREs) in State Historic Tax Credit and approximately $15 million (20% of the QREs) in Federal Historic Tax Credit. To date, the King Edward Hotel project is the largest single Historic Tax Credit project since the program’s inception in 2006. Would investors have chosen to take such a great financial risk with a thricerevived building in a struggling downtown had they not been able to claim these tax credits against their personal income? No doubt these individuals love our state and long for economic improvement for the nation’s poorest state. But they are also businessmen and savvy investors. They

brought a renaissance to West Capitol Street and its neighboring blocks. Is there a way to quantify the rippling economic impact of the inﬂux of construction labor and materials, the enhanced tourism and convention business, the ongoing labor and ancillary services required to maintain a bustling hotel, the gradual rise of nearby commerce and dining, the swelling pride of our state’s capitol and its hard-working and weary legislators looking for a place to rest? Because of the insight of the 2006 Legislative support of Mississippi’s Historic Tax Credit, Jackson now has its “linchpin” in downtown revitalization, as stated by former mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. Additional rehabilitation projects abound and the future looks bright for the neighborhood.

FISCAL SOLUTIONS Our state’s most debilitating storm, Hurricane Katrina, left a wake of destruction in 2005. In 2006, legislators were eager to find creative solutions that would help our state rebuild - while maintaining funding in other programs that couldn’t afford budget cuts. They enacted the Mississippi Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program to promote private investment in historic properties, stimulating job growth, and revitalizing communities while increasing the tax base. Eligible rehabilitation projects for residential or business purposes were able to claim on their personal taxes a credit for up to 25% of QREs (Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures). Most projects paired this credit with the 20% offered by the Federal Tax Credit program in order to maximize savings and attract federal dollars into our state. There was one important caveat. The State Historic Tax Credit has a $60 million aggregate cap. That cap was reached at the beginning of 2015. During

the 2015 legislative session, the choice was made to not increase the cap, leaving numerous projects without the ability to claim the credits on projects already under construction.

LEGISLATIVE DILEMMA As is the case with any issue brought before the State House and Senate, the Historic Tax Credit has its supporters and those who prioritized other programs. Lawmakers are inundated with issues and this one was just one of thousands. It was tabled for reconsideration in the 2016 Legislative Session. When word of the choice spread through development circles, organizations like ours began receiving frantic emails and phone calls. As data ﬂowed into our office we began to understand how this choice had impacted a vast amount of construction efforts and, in some cases, left developers without the financial security they had used to assure their lenders. The tax credit had been used as a form of collateral. Financiers from outside of the state and even international investors began to see restoration projects in Mississippi as a risk rather than a worthy endeavour. They decided to wait and watch, halting investment plans until they could be assured that additional tax credits would be made available. Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn called on the John C. Stennis Institute of Government to compose a study on the economic and fiscal effects of the tax incentives program. In August 2015, the report was released and contained overwhelming evidence that the state’s creation of the program had indeed accomplished what it set out to do - promote real estate investment, stimulate job creation, revitalize communities and increase the tax base. The study didn’t stop there. It went on to point out that state tax credits

DESIGNING AND RESTORING MISSISSIPPI’S HISTORIC & TRADITIONAL PLACES SINCE 1990

BELINDA STEWART ARCHITECTS , PA

61 North Dunn Street, P.O. Box 867 Eupora, Mississippi 39744 662.258.6405 & 662.258.6452 fax bsa@belindastewartarchitects.com www.belindastewartarchitects.com E L E VA T I O N

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make development projects attractive to out-of-state investors. In addition, Mississippi recoups 27.4% of its investment in advance as buildings are completed and put into service well ahead of the owner’s ability to claim the tax credit. While the study quantified a variety of outcomes, it also lists several that can’t be distilled to statistics: downtown revitalization, reduction of investment risk in blighted areas, creation and promotion of heritage tourism, improvement of property values and creation of new business. The tax credit had spawned an unprecedented interest in preservation AND substantially impacted economic development in the state.

Friars Point $44,066 • 1 project

Oxford $2,136,099 • 3 projects

Water Valley $210,963 • 2 projects $1,105,000 • 7 projects

Grenada Greenwood $1,104,239 • 5 projects $2,000,000 • 2 projects

Greenville $2,700,000 • 1 project

Starkville $596,519 • 19 projects $21,281,391 • 1 project

Canton $1,613,852 • 7 projects Raymond $484,853 • 3 projects

Church Hill $4,841,981 • 2 projects

Jackson $119,687,223 • 49 projects $39,778,000 • 6 projects

Woodville $1,457,278 • 2 projects $99,000 • 1 project

Columbus $1,530,515 • 3 projects

Louisville $467,929 • 3 projects

Kosciusko $287,922 • 1 project

Port Gibson $448,699 • 1 project

West Point $3,177,139 • 8 projects

Carrollton $956,985 • 4 projects

Lexington $48,409 • 1 project

Vicksburg $30,557,885 • 8 projects

Tupelo $514,826 • 4 projects

Aberdeen $171,529 • 2 projects

Cleveland $488,612 • 12 projects

Neshoba County $58,101 • 1 project Brandon $97,300 • 3 projects

Meridian $257,529 • 2 projects Stonewall $95,143 • 2 projects

Crystal Springs $79,491 • 1 project Fayette $542,218 • 1 project

Laurel $854,882 • 2 projects

Hazlehurst $172,982 • 2 project

Brookhaven Natchez $5,379,332 • 24 projects $4,081,349 • 8 projects

Tylertown $94,765 • 1 projects

McComb $1,621,394 • 3 projects

Total QREs Claimed $238,048,067 (2007-2015) Visit www.mississippi heritage.com to download a PDF of the Stennis Institute study.

Baldwyn $440,000 • 4 projects $762,200 • 3 projects

Clarksdale $2,738,250 • 2 projects

TODAY As we go to press with this issue of Elevation, the Mississippi Legislature is in session and considering a bill to raise the cap on the Historic Tax Credit, making it available to dozens of existing projects that are on hold as well as numerous who are considering investment but are in the “wait and see” mode. While lawmakers have hundreds of other bills to consider, our hope is that the preservation community will mobilize with a message of advocacy for this program. Your representatives are elected as your voice in our state’s government. Join MHT as we respectfully ask that they give thoughtful consideration to this issue. See page 20 for ways you can help.

Corinth $81,435 • 1 project $150,000 • 1 project

Holly Springs $887,832 • 4 projects

QREs Awaiting Cap Increase $188,100,591 Sources: Mississippi Department of Archives and History (May 2015), individual developers and Main Street Directors

Hattiesburg $14,668,446 • 17 projects $175,000 • 1 project

Columbia $459,254 • 5 projects $50,000 • 1 project

Gulfport $9,335,403 • 4 projects $120,000,000 • 1 project Bay St. Louis $2,102,430 • 5 projects

Pascagoula $18,660,423 • 1 project

Biloxi $2,321,037 • 4 projects Pass Christian Ocean Springs $2,081,817 • 3 projects $109,731 • 1 project

WATER VALLEY, MISSISSIPPI Meet Kagan Coughlin & Mickey Howley There is nothing short of a renaissance happening in Water Valley. Main Street Director Mickey Howley moved to the old railroad town in 2002 when there were 18 empty storefronts. Currently there are 2. Kagan Coughlin and his wife Alexe purchased and rehabilitated six of them. Their first, the B.T.C. Grocery has garnered national recognition as a gathering place for a community hungry for good home cooking and the company of friends. Main Street America Presi-

GRENADA, MISSISSIPPI Meet Deborah Bailey When Deborah moved to Grenada in 2006 to marry a local man, she had come from a fast-paced and high-stakes corporate environment with a long history of being hired to turn around organizational challenges. Deborah saw the blighted downtown with its few remaining merchants hanging on for dear life. To date she has purchased 11 buildings on or near Grenada’s historic town square and is in various stages of rehabilitation of each. Beginning the process with ex-

GULFPORT, MISSISSIPPI Centennial Plaza | Festival Marketplace In 1916, a 92-acre parcel of beach front property was chosen to celebrate Mississippi’s 100th Anniversary into the Union. An expansive campus was built but ultimately repurposed as a Navy training facility during World War I. It later became the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center. After massive damage in Hurricane Katrina, the hospital was forced to move and the campus was abandoned. The Spanish Colonial buildings received

dent and CEO Patrice Frey frequently uses Water Valley in her speaking engagements to illustrate grassroots revitalization. The New York Times published an extensive article about the turnaround. After completing the B.T.C., Kagan purchased and rehabilitated four adjacent buildings to create new retail and the town’s only lodging at that time, the Blu Buck Mercantile Hotel. Kagan has an estimated $455,000 in QREs (Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures) waiting for the tax credit cap to be increased. There are 3 others in town with an estimated $650,000 in QREs.

perienced architect, Belinda Stewart, she has worked her way to finishing a grand event space, office building and several upper ﬂoor dwellings. To encourage tourism she helped to kickstart the Grenada Afterglow Film Festival and has hosted countless dinners and receptions at First and Green. She started a local farmers’ market, Early Learning Center and the Grenada Community Foundation. Deborah has invested over $2 million of her family’s assets into these projects and is waiting for the tax credit cap to be increased before tackling new projects.

millions of dollars in federal assistance to be stabilized after the storm. In early 2013, Louisiana-based le Triomphe Property Group, LLC partnered with Housing Advisors, LLC and Centennial Development Group, LLC to form Centennial Plaza, LLC with a mission to revitalize 10 historic buildings on 57 acres. Current plans include a Holiday Inn Resort and countless family-friendly amenities. Stewart Juneau, managing partner of the group, expects the finished rehabilitation to generate at least $120 million in QREs (Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditures).

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MatteredTHEN

HISTORY OF THE COTTON MILL

BROTHER ROGERS

Brother Rogers is associate director of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service in Starkville, vice president of the Mississippi Historical Society and an MHT board member.

In 1965, my grandfather Will Rogers, Jr., who was director of Mississippi State University’s Physical Plant Department from 1946 to 1975, helped save Starkville’s historic cotton mill and supervised the renovation of the building to house his department there. Although he was not the son of the famous humorist of the same name, he did jokingly refer to himself as MSU’s professor of commodes and lavatories. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and continued to serve as headquarters for campus maintenance until 2012. It has had a close association with the university since it opened in 1902 as the John M. Stone Cotton Mill, named for

the longest serving governor in Mississippi history. After he left office in 1896, Governor Stone was named president of Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, which had been established in Starkville during his first administration in 1878. The former governor persuaded the legislature to build a Textile School in 1900 on campus to support the growing number of mills across the state. The history of the cotton mill is intertwined with the history of the Textile School. Today’s Industrial Education Building at MSU, also known as the “Twin Towers Building,” was built in 1900 to house the Textile School. It is the oldest building on campus. The close proximity of this school with modern textile technology prompt-

Photos courtesy of Brother Rogers and the National Park Service

ed the construction in 1902 of the cotton mill, the first large industry in Starkville. The mill was built as a prototype of rural industrialization to process locally grown cotton. Further cementing the relationship with the college, the first director of the Textile School, Arthur Whittam, resigned his position there to become president of the John M. Stone Cotton Mill. The mill’s founding board of directors included J.C. Hardy and R.C. King, the college’s president and secretary, respectively. (Governor Stone had died in 1900). The Textile School experienced hard times and closed in 1914, but the cotton mill itself ﬂourished after it was bought by James Sanders in 1916. According to Narvell Strickland in “A History of Mississippi Cotton Mills and Mill Villages,” Sanders renamed the building the J. W. Sanders Cotton Mill and changed the operation to the production of chambray in a variety of colors. The mill’s annual production of “Starkville Chambray,” as it became known, reached one and a half million yards, one of the largest providers in the United States. The fabric was produced in fourteen colors and shipped around the world to make dresses and shirts. After the death of his father in 1937, Robert Sanders took Sanders Industries, the company that oversaw the Starkville mill and others, to new heights. He launched a publicity campaign called “What Mississippi Makes, Makes Mississippi.” The mill began producing clothing and assorted items made from the Starkville Chambray. World War II brought an economic boom. At the end of the war, the cotton mill was producing 160,000 yards of fabric per week, running twenty-four hours a day on three eight-hour shifts. The mill had become an economic hub with its own community of houses surrounding the area, complete with a church, hospital, school,

grocery, and even a fire station in the tower. When Robert Sanders died in 1954, Sanders Industries sold the Starkville mill. The new owners struggled to keep the mill open, and it closed in 1962. Three years later, my grandfather, whose office was ironically in the Twin Towers Building that had originally housed the Textile School, helped persuade MSU to purchase and renovate the cotton mill for the expanding Physical Plant Department. The university renamed it the E.E. Cooley Building for a superintendent of utilities who had served for forty-six years. This transition from abandoned cotton mill to university maintenance department was considered at the time an outstanding example of creative preservation through adaptive use. The same could be said for the renovation in 2015 as the building entered its third life as a first-class conference center. Fittingly, the close relationship between the building and the university still remains, and somewhere I think my grandfather is smiling.

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IT STILL

Matters

NEW LIFE FOR THE E.E. COOLEY BUILDING (John M. Stone Cotton Mill)

Dr. David Shaw and Mark Castleberry

On October 19, 2015, developer Mark Castleberry opened the doors of Starkville’s newest and grandest conference center and event venue, a $40 million preservation victory in the 113 year-old cotton mill. A chat with Castleberry and Dr. David Shaw, Vice President of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University (pictured), reveals a strong private-partnership that, coupled with the support of numerous government entities, has resulted in an economic driver for this college town. Substantial public investment has attracted local industries such as Yokohoma Tire Manufacturing, Paccar Engine Company, SDI (Steel Dynamics), Airbus and others. They, along with local organizations, increasingly sought large meeting facilities outside of Starkville until this past October when the Mill officially opened its doors. Flanked on the south side by a

by Amber Kidd Lombardo

beautiful, new Courtyard Marriott, the center can host up to 1,000 in its grand two-story ballroom or smaller groups in one of its numerous breakout rooms. A 450-space parking garage services both with a circular drive to ease drop off. The building boasts 73,975 of total square footage with over 10,000 square feet of flexible event space and 53,000 square feet of Class-A office space. Climbing the original timber stairs to the second floor (dating back to 1902 when they were cut), MSU’s nSPARC (National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center) spans the entire second floor with soaring ceilings and rustic wood pilasters that play against contemporary furnishings. The center also houses U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper’s field office, and Blufish Design Studio. “Putting together a partnership of this magnitude isn’t simple,” stated Dr. Shaw. “You really have to work with an entity you trust and who you know will do a great job. It will be years before we

Photos courtesy of The Mill at MSU / Castle Properties • MHT / Amber Lombardo

can begin to understand the economic impact of a project this size but it is clear already that The Mill at MSU will be a game-changer for Starkville and Oktibbeha County. Mississippi State is the largest research university in the state and this will enable us to host very large conferences that will bring substantial tourism revenue.” Castleberry nodded in agreement. “Having a partner like Mississippi State University makes a project like this feasible. We have our best customer right across the street and could represent to lenders that a privatelyowned center could work without direct public investment such as bonds and hotel taxes,” Castleberry said. “Development choices were 95% lender-driven,” he continued. “While it would have been less expensive to demolish the building, we chose to instead repurpose. It has obvious character that a new building wouldn’t offer but another great advantage is the opportunity to utilize both state and federal Historic Tax Credits as well as state and federal New Markets Tax Credits.” The parking garage utilized CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding and is owned by Mississippi State, completing a complex financial stack that enabled the team to move forward. When asked about other preservation projects Castleberry said this was his first of this size but stated definitively that he would do it again. “We already have another $30 million development planned on Russell Street,” he said, “we believe in this investment.” With properties in 7 Mississippi cities, 8 of which are hotels, Castleberry knows a great opportunity rests a stone’s throw from one of the region’s best SEC schools. “Forming private-public partnerships is key,” he said,”and collaborating with Dale Partners Architects and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History made this work.” Castleberry has $21,281,391 in QREs awaiting the increase in the state historic tax credit.

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SAMPLE RESOLUTION

Voice YOU HAVE A

Reach out to your city, county and civic organizations to adopt a resolution in support of this important legislation and mail it to your state elected officials. Customize this sample resolution with figures from page 14. Be sure to send MHT a copy so we can follow-up with decision makers.

E L E VA T I O N

Whereas, the state of Mississippi has an important architectural legacy dating back to the late 1700s; and Whereas, these well-crafted, beautifully designed historic buildings have an important story to tell about the history of our state; and

Whereas, the state historic tax credit has stimulated a total of approximately $299 million dollars in local, qualified, nonacquisition related historic rehabilitation construction expenditures between 2007 and 2015; and

Whereas, these construction related expenditures have generated approximately 5,573 full-time equivalent jobs, with an income to workers of $148,478,800, Whereas, in 2006 the Mississippi Legislature thereby leveraging approximately $2.48 of labor income for every dollar the state of enacted a 25% state historic tax credit Mississippi has invested in the historic tax intended to promote private investment credits; and in historic properties with the goal of stimulating job growth, increasing the tax Whereas, the economic effects of base and revitalizing communities; and construction spending on historic Whereas, in addition to bringing new life to rehabilitation projects that have been incentivized by the state tax credit have buildings in Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s downtowns, the state tax credit is the only financial incentive created $432.5 million in total economic output, thereby leveraging $5.71 of available for historic homeowners; and economic activity; and Whereas, as stated in the August 2015 Whereas, in addition to the economic report entitled The Economic and benefits that have resulted from the state Fiscal Effects of the Mississippi Historic historic tax credit, many historic buildings Preservation Tax Incentives Program, An that would have been lost have now been Overview For Decision-Makers, authored restored for use by future generations of by the Mississippi State University, John Mississippians; and C. Stennis Institute of Government, the state historic tax credit has been used to Whereas, the $60,000,000 aggregate cap rehabilitate 252 historic structures; and

t h e j o u r na l o f t h e M i s s i s s i p p i H e r i tag e Tru s t

for the state tax credit has been reached, leaving this popular and effective incentive program without funding; and Whereas, the current deadline to qualify for the program is December 31, 2017; and Whereas, the state tax credit has been used to rehabilitate (Number of Structures) in (Location), including the (Name of Structure), which is now used for (Use of Structure); and Whereas, the Mississippi Legislature is considering legislation, namely House Bill 352 and Senate Bill 2065, during the 2016 legislative session that would increase the aggregate cap to $100,000,000, which is an increase of $40,000,000, and extend the qualifying deadline to December 31, 2031. Therefore, be it resolved that (Name of Entity) respectfully requests the Mississippi Legislature to enact legislation that would increase funding and extend the qualifying deadline for the Mississippi Historic Tax Credit. (Date and signatures)

s 5040 Highway 51 North 662.301.1630

ARCHITECTURE

GRAPHIC DESIGN

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ART INSTALLATIONS Ocean Springs, MS

Other locations: Batesville • Belzoni • Cleveland Hernando • Hollandale Greenville • Indianola • Vicksburg

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ARCHITECTURAL TOUR

Home of Bill & Francine Luckett, Clarksdale

April 2 • 9am-4pm • $25 a person Clarksdale • Greenwood Mississippi Valley State University Indianola • Cleveland Delta State University • Mound Bayou

Mad Mod Affair

DELTA Saturday, April 2, 2016 9am-4pm Architectural Tour

6-9pm Reception & Tour of the home of Francine & Bill Luckett

www.lovemsmod.com

E L E VA T I O N

Architects in the mid-twentieth century deﬁed tradition and experimented with color, form and materials to create the many fun, unusual and occasionally outlandish houses, banks, dry cleaners, ofﬁces and schools that make up Mississippi’s historic modernist landscape. The Delta is home to many such modernist gems that are now considered the “new historic”. Our fun and informative tour, led by John Beard, AIA, will showcase the creative spirit that is embodied in modernism in true Delta style.

Delta State University

Reception and Tour of the Home of

FRANCINE & BILL LUCKETT Clarksdale • April 2 • 6-9pm • $50 / person Fay Jones of Fayetteville, Arkansas, studied under the great Frank Lloyd Wright, and eventually ascended to heights rivaling his master. Jones became one of the most acclaimed and signiﬁcant architects of the late twentieth century. The Luckett home, originally built in 1973 for the McNamee family, is one of Jones most spectacular prairie-style residences, with a vast array of sunken spaces, wood screens and expanses of glass looking out to intimate patios and a stunning pool area and guest-house. Guest will enjoy cocktails, refreshments and live music while touring the home and mingling with other lovers of mod.

Mississippi Valley State University

Wade Building, Greenwood

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Delta Electric, Indianola

Mad Mod Affair

JACKSON October 6-8, 2016 Showcasing the meticulous restoration of the Falk House, home of John Hooks

www.lovemsmod.com

Rusty at the Falk House, Jackson

20th century’s

APRIL 9 THROUGH OCTOBER 30, 2016 T H E A N N I E L A U R I E S WA I M H E A R I N M E M O R I A L E X H I B I T I O N S E R I E S

Organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, SUNY. Neuberger Berman is the national tour sponsor of When Modern Was Contemporary. Additional support is provided by the JFM Foundation and Mrs. Donald M.Cox. In-kind support is provided by Christie’s. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

The Mississippi Museum of Art and its programs are sponsored in part by the city of Jackson and the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Support is also provided in part by funding from the Mississippi Arts Commission, a state agency, and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Local presentation of this exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation and Trustmark. Support is also provided by:

Charles Sheeler, The Web (Croton Dam), 1955. oil on canvas. 22 ¼ x 24 in. (56.5 x 61 cm). Collection Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York, Gift of Roy R. Neuberger, 1972.04.12. Photo: Jim Frank. Courtesy American Federation of Arts.

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Welcome Center Grand Opening. Front row: Bob Dellar, Michael Yerger, JoAnn Gordon, Phyllis Doby, Senator Will Longwitz, Mayor Arnel Bolden, Ronnie Lott, Jana Padgett. Second row: Doug Shoemaker, Celia Miller, Guy Bowering, Nancy Bowering. Third row: Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Jordan Hillsman.

preservation ROAD TRIP

RITA MCGUFFIE

Rita is a Chairperson with the Mannsdale-Livingston Heritage Preservation District and a member of the Gateway to History Corridor Advisory Group. She is a Madison area resident whose family roots can be traced to early Madison County settlers. 24

E L E VA T I O N

For many decades, residents and visitors who travel through rural Madison County have recognized its rich beauty and many historically signiďŹ cant sites. A dedicated group of neighbors began working with like minded political entities over a decade ago to protect this special area. After long months of working with Central Mississippi Planning and Development Authority, Madison County Board of Supervisors, Mannsdale Heritage Foundation and all landowners within its boundaries, Mannsdale-Livingston

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Heritage Preservation District (MLHPD) was unanimously voted into the Zoning Ordinance for Madison County by the Board of Supervisors in March 2003. In 2007, Mississippi Heritage Trust recognized the District as one of Mississippiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 Most Endangered sites. This designation is an additional acknowledgement that the area is worthy of special protection. In 2013, Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) initiated a statewide opportunity for communities to apply for its Scenic Byway

Photos courtesy of Rita McGufﬁe • MHT / Amber Lombardo

Madison County Courthouse, Canton, MS

designation. Again, area residents banded with political entities to move forward with the application process. The mayors of Canton, Madison and Flora offered their full support and worked with citizens to create the Gateway to History, a Mississippi Scenic Byway. Once this project was selected by MDOT, Senators Will Longwitz and Kenny Wayne Jones and Representative Rita Martinson sponsored bills to present to the legislature. Each bill was passed by its respective house and upon passage, Governor Phil Bryant signed into law the Gateway to History Scenic Byway. Speaker of the House Philip Gunn has also been instrumental in promoting this Scenic Byway. The Gateway to History Scenic Byway winds through over 30 miles of rural vistas, quaint towns and historic sites. This byway offers travelers the opportunity to visit the Natchez Trace, historic Canton, the town of Livingston, lovely downtown Flora, the Chapel of the Cross and, one of the most historically signiﬁcant sites in the United States, the 36 million year old Petriﬁed Forest located in Flora. The Corridor Advisory Group (CAG) that oversees the Gateway to History is composed of people who represent the different segments along this route. These volunteers have worked hard to obtain grants and raise private funding as well. The Tourism Division of the Mississippi Development Authority has awarded two grants that were used to establish the Gateway to History Welcome Center on the square in Canton, to print brochures and banners and to establish a website that informs the public of events within the byway. Members of the Gateway to History Corridor Advisory Group have also presented programs to area civic clubs, garden clubs, churches and scouting E L E VA T I O N

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Chapel of the Cross Episcopal Church, Madison, Mississippi

groups to raise awareness of the opportunities provided by this byway. For example, an ongoing beautiﬁcation project, Historic Enhancement Landscape Program (HELP), has made a signiﬁcant impact already. Volunteers of all ages have planted thousands of daffodils along the Gateway to History, providing wonderful opportunities for community members to meet one another and work together for a common goal. Many of these daffodils have grown in the area for decades and have been donated by families of Madison County pioneers to be transplanted along the roadside for all to see. Developers at Livingston Township have also relocated daffodils that were 26

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growing within the original town square of Livingston, thereby saving these plants from any possible damage by new construction. This new construction at Livingston is located on the original 1828 Madison County seat of Livingston and is being built using architectural styles from the 19th and early 20th century. Several shops and restaurants are already ﬁnished providing a lovely stop for byway travelers. The downtown Flora area offers shopping and dining for residents and visitors alike. The depot and water tower are great points of interest and the old gin has been refurbished as a wonderful event venue. Through the years, Canton has been

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a leader in offering many events for visitors— the Gospel Fest, the Balloon Fest, the Christmas City of Lights, and, of course, the nationally renowned Canton Flea Market, to name a few. Canton has also been instrumental in bringing the ﬁlm industry to Madison County to make several movies. The Gateway to History Welcome Center is located on Canton’s historic Square. Many folks also come to see the Courthouse at the center of the Square. Currently, this magniﬁcent building is in the process of being restored under the supervision of noted historical architect Belinda Stewart and Phase 1 of the project is nearing completion. Residents and visitors eagerly await the completion

Volunteers plant daffodils along the byway: Michael Yerger, Dianna Luke, Brad Luke, and Connie Brown.

Cemetery at Chapel of the Cross

of the entire project. Canton has always been proactive in preserving its heritage. An application for a State Historic Tax Credit has been submitted by Jeremy Mears with the Brownstone Company from Houston, Texas to renovate the historic Canton High School building and convert it to apartments. Also located along the Gateway to History is the historic Episcopal Church, the Chapel of the Cross, which was built in 1851 and designed by Englishborn architect, Frank Wills. It is widely recognized as one of the most important examples of antebellum Greek Revival religious architecture in the Deep South and was placed on the National Historic Register in 1972. This church

has a thriving congregation that lovingly cares for the structures, cemetery and grounds. Each year the public is invited to experience food, crafts, music, races and children’s games during “A Day in the Country” on the ﬁrst Saturday in October. Adjacent to the Chapel is the original manse, which was built according to a design by A. J. Downing, who also designed the Manship House. This building is currently being used as a Montissori school. Gateway to History, although only a couple of years old, has already had a big impact on Madison County by bringing people together for a common goal. Neighbors, politicians, civic groups, garden clubs, scouting groups and

churches have embraced the opportunity to preserve our heritage, promote historical sites and collectively plan for a rich future along this byway. One future goal for the Gateway to History is to initiate a multi-use trail system to promote healthy lifestyles within the corridor and provide alternate travel experiences for our visitors. Our Mississippi Scenic Byway, Gateway to History, is a source of great pride for all that live along its route and those that have worked so hard to establish it and promote the historic, educational, recreational, beautiﬁcation and economic possibilities that accompany a scenic byway.

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PRESERVATION EDUCATION 1

A Time to All Things | Delta

Behind the Big House Tour | Holly Springs

By the Hands of an Unseen Poet: The Design, the Mystery and the Restoration of the Charnley-Norwood House | Ocean Springs

Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek

| Gulfport 5

Hub City Lofts Marketing Plan | Hattiesburg

Mississippi Historic Courthouse Architecture:

Preservation in Mississippi

Randolph School Resurrection | Pass Christian

Shaw Homestead Interpretive Program | Barth

Tales from the Crypt Educational Program |

A Photographic Essay

Columbus 11

The Plantation World of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, 1792-2012

RESTORATION 12

Bay Springs School | Kelly Settlement,

Hattiesburg 13

Bolivar County Courthouse | Rosedale

Burrus House | Benoit

Coker House | Edwards

Dexter Hall, Boswell Regional Center | Magee

Enochs Hall, Mississippi School for the Arts |

Brookhaven 2014 Heritage Awards Ceremony at the J.J. Rogers Building, Tupelo

The Mississippi Heritage Awards are presented to increase the public’s awareness of the valiant and successful efforts of Mississippians to preserve our architectural

heritage

Let’s give another round of applause to the 2014 award recipients as we look forward to the 2016 ceremony to be held at the ListenUp! Mississippi Historic Preservation Conference. 28

E L E VA T I O N

Medgar Evers House Museum | Jackson

First Baptist Church | Eupora

Immanuel Episcopal Church | Winona

Lamar County Courthouse | Purvis

Mount Moriah School | Tylertown

National Guard “Old” Armory | Amory

Prentiss Normal Institute | Prentiss

Randolph School | Pass Christian

Rectitude Masonic Lodge #323 | Gulfport

Shaw Homestead | Barth

Taborian Hospital | Mound Bayou

Wathall County Training School | Tylertown

Watkins Museum | Taylorsville

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19 25

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RESTORATION continued 31 Robert O. Wilder Building |

Tougaloo College

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 32 Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Dr. Luther Brown | Cleveland 33 Martha Dalrymple & the National Guard “Old” Armory Restoration |

Amory 34 Derrick Evans | Turkey Creek 35 Leonard Fuller, Sr. | Gautier 36 Kennedy V. Johnson & the Taborian Hospital Restoration |

Mound Bayou

37 38

Cindy Nelson & the Tishomingo County Historical & Genealogical Society Robert O. Tatum | Hattiesburg

COMMUNITY RENAISSANCE 39 Water Valley ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE 40 Round Island Lighthouse |

Pascagoula

MR. AND MRS. CHARLES E. STEELE AWARD FOR A CATALYST PROJECT 44 Hub City Lofts: America Building and Carter Building Restoration |

Hattiesburg LIBBY AYDELOTT AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC POLICY 45 Speaker of the House Philip Gunn

MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST & MISSISSIPPI AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORIC PRESERVATION COUNCIL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESERVATION OF AFRICANAMERICAN HERITAGE 46 Turkey Creek Community |

Gulfport

MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST & MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES & HISTORY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORIC DISTRICT PRESERVATION 47 Gateway to History: A Scenic Byway | Madison County

EXCELLENCE IN STEWARDSHIP OF HISTORIC SITES 41 Tishomingo County Historical and Genealogical Society

TRUSTEES AWARD FOR EXEMPLARY RESTORATION OF A MISSISSIPPI LANDMARK 48 Charnley-Norwood House | Ocean

TRUDY ALLEN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RESIDENTIAL RESTORATION 42 Old Homestead | Columbus

TRUSTEES AWARD FOR ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT 49 Tougaloo College

Springs

EUGENE C. TULLOS AWARD FOR STEWARDSHIP 43 Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Carr

Nominations HERITAGE AWARDS

Know of a great preservation story? Tell us about it! We are looking for candidates for our 2016 Mississippi Heritage Awards Ceremony on June 2, 2016 (as a part of our annual ListenUp! Historic Preservation Conference in Water Valley and Oxford). Simply complete and return this form or email your suggestion to preservation@mississippiheritage.com.

Deadline for submission is April 15, 2016. Full nomination form and details may be found at www.listenupms.com. PERSON OR PROJECT _________________________________________ organization __________________________________________________ contact ______________________________________________________ 37

address _____________________________________________________ city, state, zip _________________________________________________ telephone ___________________________________________________ e-mail _______________________________________________________

SUBMITTED BY _______________________________________________ organization __________________________________________________ address _____________________________________________________ 41

city, state, zip ________________________________________________ telephone ____________________________________________________ e-mail _______________________________________________________

TELL US A BIT ABOUT THIS PERSON OR PROJECT ________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 45

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Please complete and return to: Mississippi Heritage Trust • P.O. Box 577 Dig Deeper at listenupms.com/ heritage-awards

Jackson, MS 39205 • 601/354-0200 • preservation@mississippiheritage.com

E L E VA T I O N

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There is someone in your life who means more to you than anything.

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www.mbhs.org/quality | 800.948.6262 E L E VA T I O N | W i n t e r 2 0 1 6 3 3 The Following Is Not For Print/For Information Only Placement: Elevation. 06/2015. 2.5” x 8”. Commissioned by Robby Channell.

worthy

PRESERVATION PROJECT

MARY WOODWARD

Mary is the Chancellor at the Catholic Diocese of Jackson

Pictured: Msgr. Elvin Sunds, Mary Woodward, Wes Holsapple, and Donna King at St. Mary Church, 653 Claiborne Avenue, Jackson, Mississippi

E L E VA T I O N

HOUSES OF WORSHIP provide a unique challenge for preservation efforts. So many pivotal moments of individual, family and community life have been celebrated in these spaces - baptisms, weddings, funerals - that the physical building itself becomes ingrained into the psyche and soul of its people. For it is not only the memory of these events, but also the ongoing encounters of faith in community, that connect a worshiper with the space. Therefore, the path to restoring and re-imagining a Catholic church building should be taken with great care and commitment on behalf of all those who have been drawn into that edifice and experienced the mysteries of faith, in order to find a positive reuse of the property benefiting the entire community around it. St. Mary Church in West Jackson was dedicated in October 1955, but

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its life as a parish faith community goes back even further to a time when Jackson was growing quickly in all directions. The dream that became St. Mary Church began 18 years prior to the construction of the actual church building. On August 28, 1937, Bishop Richard Oliver Gerow, who was the bishop of the Catholic Church in Mississippi from 1924-1966, envisioned the future parish with the following entry in his diary: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Of late years Jackson has had a remarkable growth, and for quite some time I have been very conscious of the fact that at some time in the near future it is going to be necessary to erect at least one new parish in Jackson, and probably two. Monsignor Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Reilly for quite some time has been on the lookout for some piece of property that might be suited for the use of a new

Photos courtesy of MDAH Historic Preservation Division and the Diocese of Jackson Archives • MHT / Amber Lombardo

parish. He has finally located a piece of property that he feels would be useful… so today I stopped off at Jackson in order to see the lot that he has recommended. It is about two miles west of the present Church of St. Peter’s, a little bit off to the south of the road leading from Jackson to Clinton, and just about on the edge of the present city. However, recently there has been quite a growth in this part of town – many buildings have been erected, and quite close to this lot, to the east are some very fine streets, with fine homes, and Monsignor tells me that there is no small number of Catholics living in this section.” A week later, Bishop Gerow called Monsignor O’Reilly and asked him to purchase the lot on Claiborne Avenue for $4000 from the owners – R.B. and Eva Lattimer. After the passage of about 10 years, the bishop decided it was time to make the leap, establish the new parish, and appoint its first pastor. In 1947, a small house across the street from the property on Claiborne Avenue was purchased to serve as the first rectory for the pastor. Finally, on August 7, 1948, the decree establishing St. Mary Parish in West Jackson was promulgated and Rev. Peter Quinn was named the first pastor. A native of the West Coast of Ireland, Rev. Quinn, came to Mississippi as a young priest in the late 1920s. During the Second World War, he served as a chaplain in the European Theater and received the Bronze Star for his bravery in ministry to the men on the front lines.

He arrived in Jackson from Cleveland where he had been pastor and began to map out a course for developing the parish community â&#x20AC;&#x201C; spiritually and structurally. First on the agenda was to build a large gymnasium/auditorium where Mass could be celebrated and other parish events could take place. Designed by architect James Canizaro, this was completed in April 1949, and the first Mass was celebrated in the building on Palm Sunday. Rev. Quinnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plans were to now build a convent and school followed by the church and adjacent rectory. Unfortunately soon after the gymnasium was completed, the priest died of a heart attack on the train to Chicago to make an appeal for funds for the parish. The fledgling community was shocked and deeply saddened as was Bishop Gerow. So in a bold move, the bishop asked the deceased pastorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother, Francis, also a priest serving in Mississippi in Leland to come and complete the dream of St. Mary Parish. Rev. Francis Quinn embraced the vision, gathered his new flock and embarked on the journey to fulfill the vision. The school and convent also designed by Canizaro were completed in 1949. With these foundational buildings completed, Rev. Quinn and the people of St. Mary set sights on designing a fitting house of worship for the growing West Jackson Catholic community. They enlisted the services of architect E.L. Malvaney, who designed the Woolfolk and the War Memorial Buildings in Jackson, along with many schools and other public structures in the state. Malvaney designed a large traditional cross-shaped Gothic structure with arches, columns and tall, narrow stained glass windows. Local materials were used for the exterior including gray flagstone. The bell tower houses three bronze bells, which still have beautiful resonance. 36

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The steeple ascends into the sky clad in copper which has acquired its green patina. Inside, beautiful terrazzo floors greeted worshippers and guests in the narthex of the church. The main floor is tile and the altar area (called the sanctuary in Catholic liturgical vocabulary) is a mixture of terrazzo and marble with veins of rose and pale green complimenting the natural color. Five entrances allow visitors access to the main body of the 450 seat church. These strong, dark wooden double doors retain their original hardware. The previously mentioned narthex spans the width of the church and contains two niches which currently hold large marble statues. Two “cry rooms” and a sitting room, which had been used as a modern-style confessional are just off the narthex. Restrooms are located here as well as the staircase to the balcony and bell tower. On each side of the sanctuary are service rooms for storage or offices. These rooms have exterior doors also. Behind the sanctuary is a long hallway on which each end there is a mechanical room and storage area. Over time, shifting population and clay have taken a toll on the St. Mary community. As the number of families declined and other parishes in the metro area grew, upkeep of the structures on the 10-acre campus became formidable for the parish. Leaky roofs are a nuisance in the school, gymnasium, rectory and church. Settlement cracks began to occur in 1960 due to Mississippi’s nemesis, Yazoo clay, and are very visible in the church. The school merged several years ago with nearby Christ the King School to become Sr. Thea Bowman School on J.R. Lynch Street. The Ursuline Sisters, who staffed the school, left a few years prior. Currently the school building, gym and

convent are leased by an after-school care program. In February 2015, after much discussion, listening to concerns of current parishioners, and examining the costs of upkeep by the small community, Bishop Joseph Kopacz decided to close the building for worship and merge St. Mary Parish into St. Therese Parish located on McDowell Road in South Jackson. St. Therese is now responsible for the care and distribution of the St. Mary properties – a daunting task and responsibility for the people of St. Therese and Monsignor (Msgr.) Elvin Sunds, pastor. However, there is hope of a new start. With the announcement of a large section of West Jackson near the Jackson Zoo being eligible for revitalization grants, the St. Mary campus property stands as an investment opportunity that could anchor to this revitalization project. The campus is in a prime location to further revitalize this historic part of Jackson and stabilize a once vibrant community that over the past two decades has been neglected and fallen into disrepair. A socially-conscious buyer committed to energizing this part of Jackson’s west side could be a catalyst for growth and prosperity in an area that has seen great life in the past and is poised for revitalization and renewal. St. Therese, Msgr. Sunds and the bishop’s chancellor, Mary Woodward, have partnered with Wes Holsapple, an independent commercial realtor, who is managing the project to re-envision the campus. Holsapple is committed to finding the right person or group who will take on this revitalization opportunity. At the time there is no set asking price for the properties. Interested individuals and groups may discuss options with Holsapple by contacting him at 601/540.8000 or wesholsapplerealty@ comcast.net.

Preservation in Mississippi a blog for building-huggers established 2009

It ain’t all moonlight & magnolias join the conversation at misspreservation.com E L E VA T I O N

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MAGNOLIA HALL, $209,707 Natchez, Adams County. For restoration of exterior millwork, masonry, stucco, and plaster. MARY RICKS THORNTON CULTURAL CENTER, $26,400 Kosciusko, Attala County. For construction of new ADA-compliant restroom and exterior and interior ramps.

BOLIVAR COUNTY COURTHOUSE $128,000 • Cleveland, Bolivar County For restoration of the terracotta front entrance.

I.T. MONTGOMERY HOME, $20,000 Mound Bayou, Bolivar County. For stabilization of the structure.

ican Oakes Afr nter e ultural C merican C

Bolivar County Courthouse

Photos courtesy of Belinda Stewart Architects, PA • MHT / Amber Lombardo

AUBURN HOUSE, $103,455 Natchez, Adams County. For repair of balconies, columns, gutter system, reglazing of windows, and new paint.

OVER $3M IN PRESERVATION GRANTS AWARDED On December 4, 2015, the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History awarded more than $3 million in grants to twenty-two preservation projects across the state as part of the Community Heritage Preservation Grant Program. County or municipal governments, school districts and non-proﬁt organizations are eligible to submit applications for the restoration of Mississippi Landmark-designated schools, courthouses or other historic properties in Certiﬁed Local Governments.

Authorized and funded by the Mississippi Legislature, over $35 million has been granted to 225 projects since the beginning of the program. “The Legislature has saved hundreds of signiﬁcant Mississippi properties through this program,” said MDAH Director Katie Blount. “The Department of Archives and History is grateful for the Legislature’s support and pleased to be able to help preserve these local treasures.”

J.M. EWING ADMINISTRATION BUILDING $100,000 • Wesson, Copiah

LAUDERDALE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, $94,056

County. For roof repair and replacement.

Meridian, Lauderdale County For roof replacement.

MILLSAPS HOTEL, $110,160 Hazlehurst, Copiah County. For termite treatment, interior stabilization, and exterior masonry restoration. EATON SCHOOL, $200,000 Hattiesburg, Forrest County. For exterior bracing. SOUTH FORREST ATTENDANCE CENTER AUDITORIUM, $217,248

FORMER MERIDIAN POLICE STATION HEADQUARTERS $300,000 • Meridian, Lauderdale County. For new rooﬁng system.

MARKS ROSENWALD SCHOOL $260,000 • Marks, Quitman County For reconstruction of the masonry, foundation, and roof frame, and new ﬂoors and roof.

SENATOBIA HIGH SCHOOL $288,500 • Senatobia, Tate County For restoration of masonry and doors and new roof.

LEAKE COUNTY COURTHOUSE $160,000 • Carthage, Leake County For window restoration.

TUNICA COUNTY COURTHOUSE $67,710 • Tunica, Tunica County. For HVAC system boiler.

Brooklyn, Forrest County. For roof and classroom remediation, and drainage and exterior work.

ELIZABETH COTTAGE, $77,720 Brookhaven, Lincoln County. For restoration of second-ﬂoor bedrooms, bathroom, and hallway.

Warren County. For roof replacement.

J.Z. GEORGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, $120,428

HUGH CRAFT & SON SURVEYING OFFICE, $61,000 • Holly Springs,

OAKES AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, $125,000

Jackson, Hinds County. For window restoration.

Marshall County. For exterior restoration.

Yazoo City, Yazoo County. For roof replacement and exterior repairs.

LAPOINTE-KREBS HOUSE

MONROE COUNTY ARCHIVES AND ELECTIONS ANNEX

$150,000 • Pascagoula, Jackson County. For roof replacement and chimney repair.

$147,549 • Aberdeen, Monroe County. For site work, roof replacement, and interior rehabilitation.

SOUTHERN CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION $145,200 • Vicksburg,

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PASS CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

2016 Tour of Homes S U N D A Y, M A Y 1

MISSISSIPPI AIA At their annual Design Awards Celebration, the Mississippi AIA presented MHT with the “Friend of Architecture” award for “demonstrating extraordinary commitment to the historical architecture of Mississippi.” Several programs were cited, specifically the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi, MS MOD and the Preservation Toolkit. We’re very proud of our great big certificate and have already cleared a place for it at our new headquarters, the Lowry House in Jackson. Pictured: Brett Couples, President, presented Lolly Barnes and Amber Lombardo with the certificate.

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701 EAST SCENIC DRIVE Modern modular construction methods recreate the coast’s old vernacular style. The back cottage is believed to be an 1840s garcionnier to the home next door. 715 EAST SCENIC DRIVE This historic home was constructed during the Pass’ building boom of the late 1840s and had an early 20th century makeover. 723 EAST SCENIC DRIVE This post-Katrina construction evokes a country farm home style. 722 EAST SECOND STREET This home stood at 723 East Scenic from 1922 until the 1960s when it was moved to Second Street.

•

2-5 PM

TICKETS: $25 advance, $30 at the door To purchase, visit passhistory.org (through April 30), Cat Island Coffee House/Pass Christian Books (cash or check only) or Pass Christian Historical Society (credit cards accepted) TICKET INCLUDES: Tea at one of the homes (included with ticket cost) and an invitation to Sunday Brunch at the Pass Christian Yacht Club ($17.95 +tax and tips; reservations highly recommended; 228/452-2571) FOR MORE INFORMATION Anita Giani 228/452-5969 • 650/743-0870, anita_giani@yahoo.com

PASS CHRISTIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY 201 E. Scenic Drive • Pass Christian, MS 39571 228/452-7254 • www.passhistory.org

Preserving the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic resources since 1902 E L E VA T I O N

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whole PLACES A PARTNERSHIP TO EDUCATE, PRESERVE, AND EXCITE.

MADISON & MARK TALLEY

Madison Talley is an intern architect and owner of TALLstudio. She has a degree in architecture from Mississippi State University and upon graduation knew she wanted to approach design in a hands on manner. Subsequently she went to work designing and building large scale art installations for commercial clients. Mark Talley, AIA is a licensed architect and owner of TALLstudio, an architecture and design ﬁrm located in Ocean Springs. He graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in architecture and has worked in several award winning ﬁrms across the country.

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The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was once quoted stating “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” Taking this way of thinking into consideration, the Mississippi Heritage Trust, the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and TALLstudio Architecture are working together to educate the next generation of cardcarrying preservationists about the shared values of historic preservation and environmental conservation. The Whole Places Educational Outreach Program will address goals stated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Land Trust Alliance, which include ensuring the wise use of resources, working toward social, economic and environmental sustainability, protecting community character, promoting quality of place and connecting people with their communities and environments.

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12 Oaks, Ocean Springs Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain. Pictured: Beth Ashley (board member), Gale Singley Laird (board member), Judy Steckler (LTMCP Director), Jennifer Tyler Baker (board VP), Melanie Allen (board President), Johnny Marquez (board member), Peggy Hoover (board member)

Funded by a generous grant from the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, Whole Places will showcase five places along the Gulf Coast with rich histories and irreplaceable natural settings: The Shaw Homestead in Barth, 12 Oaks and Bon Silene (Charnley-Norwood House) in Ocean Springs, Phoenix Naval Stores in the Turkey Creek community of Gulfport and Cedar Lake Island in Biloxi. Whole Places will endeavor to connect with educators, parents and students alike, searching for an inclusive manner in which to deliver materials, implement a curriculum and inspire young minds both in and out of the classroom. The program will provide lesson plans that will be available to all teachers, oral histories by former owners, neighbors and community activists, a guide for field trips to each of the five sites and hands-on activities that can be performed to further the experience and build a constituency for the protection of these special places.

Photos courtesy of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, TALLstudios / Madison & Mark Talley, Allison Anderson, and MHT / Lolly Barnes

Gulf Coast Community Design Studio teach guests about quilting during Pioneer Days

SHAW HOMESTEAD Built in the early 1880s by Bernard Dedeaux, the Shaw Homestead was settled as a result of the 1862 Federal Homestead Act, which encouraged adventurous spirits to move to south Mississippi by allowing any adult who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government ownership of land at little or no cost. Dedeaux eventually transferred the property to his brother-in-law, Jules Ladner, who restructured the home into a full dog trot with a detached kitchen. Melvina and Gilbert Shaw purchased the homestead in 1902, and subsequently enclosed the side porch in order to create lean-to bedrooms. During the years of the timber boom, the homestead was used as a timber station in addition to a sheep station. After Melvina Shaw evacuated for Hurricane Camille in 1969, the property was left vacant until the second catastrophic blow was delivered by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The homestead was then donated to the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain in 2006. After two major storms and 37 years of vacancy, the property was in grave need of repair. Major restoration work has been completed with assistance from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, Unabridged Architecture and Bay View Construction. The future of the property is bright with plans for a museum of rural life.

Jeff Rosenberg helped oversee the restoration of the Charnley-Norwood House with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

BON SILENE (Charnley-Norwood House) Bon Silene was built in 1890 and designed by Louis Sullivan and his then-apprentice, Frank Lloyd Wright. The beachfront vacation home, constructed for lumber-baron James Charnley, burned in 1897 and was rebuilt almost exactly. Bon Silene is an excellent example of a concept, pioneered by both Sullivan and Wright, of bringing the outdoors inside through the use of natural light, ample operable windows and multiple doors (a total of 32!) that open out onto exterior living spaces. When Katrina struck in 2005 the home was owned by Mary and Edsel Ruddiman, both of whom passed away within six months of the storm. Katrina left Bon Silene bent and broken, with the front portion of the roof resting on the ground, the foundation piers piercing the ďŹ&#x201A;oor, the curly pine walls cracking or drifting away and the front porch completely missing. After the storm, volunteers combed the surrounding woods and bayou to recover as many pieces of the house as possible, preservationists from around the country rallied to try to save this architectural treasure. Bon Silene sat untouched for three years while the debate about the future of the property carried on. In 2008, emergency stabilization work was completed, followed by a meticulous restoration of the building by craftsmen with the J.O. Collins, Contractors, under the watchful eye of architect Larry Albert and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The property was purchased by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources with funds from the Coastal Impact Assistance Program, guaranteeing the longterm preservation of this national landmark. E L E VA T I O N

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Derrick Evans (Turkey Creek Community Initiative), David Perkes (Gulf Coast Community Design Studio), and Eugene Johnson

12 OAKS

PHOENIX NAVAL STORES

Notable for its many large trees, including the three oaks christened Faith, Hope, and Charity, 12 Oaks is a place of tremendous natural beauty. Upon visiting 12 Oaks, students will have the opportunity to traverse and explore 30 acres overlooking Old Fort Bayou. The property was acquired by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources in 2005 and has been designated as a site for coastal conservation, ecological study and a retreat for artists. The property was originally purchased in 1854 by the James family from the U.S. Government, and in 1880, was sold for $5.00 by Leannah James to Johanna SmithBlount, one of her former slaves. A mere four years later, Mrs. Blount sold a four acre parcel of the property to the African Methodist Episcopal Church for use as a campground. In a local journal it was reported that “the new Methodist Episcopal Church North, a colored church, was erected for $1,000 in February 1898,” and local lore claims that baptisms were performed in Old Fort Bayou.

Phoenix Naval Stores is located in the Turkey Creek community of Gulfport, known for its freshwater marsh, coastal hardwood forest, and, as of late, turbulent times. Since the mid-1950s, surrounding infrastructure has continually encroached upon this historically African-American community. Hurricane Katrina’s devastating flooding in 2005 was exacerbated by the development trend of businesses moving northward and further threatening community character. Residents have fought back, garnering national attention for efforts to preserve the special historic and ecological significance of the neighborhood. Turkey Creek Community Initiatives and the Turkey Creek Steering Committee were formed and work in partnership with the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, which now owns and protects 186 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the area. In the 1940s, Phoenix Naval Stores was a booming epicenter of the timber industry, employing many residents of Turkey Creek, until a massive explosion killed 11 men. Listed as one of the 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi in 2015, the Phoenix Naval Stores office building sits today as a decaying reminder of the timber industry. The community is currently seeking funding to turn the building into a community center.

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Photos courtesy of the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, TALLstudios / Madison & Mark Talley, Allison Anderson, Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio • MHT / Lolly Barnes and Amber Lombardo

After learning about the signiﬁcance of these ﬁve special places through oral histories and photographic timelines, students involved in the Whole Places program will have a chance to visit the sites and complete projects which aim to further their understanding of preservation and conservation objectives. The goal of Whole Places is to leave students knowledgeable about our state’s history and inspired to get involved to make a difference.

Will Underwood, Stewardship Coordinator/Wildlife Biologist, Grand Bay NERR (National Esturaine Reseach Reserve), speaks to students from Quarles Elementary school

CEDAR LAKE ISLAND Situated on the west side of the Tchoutacabouffa River, the 44 acre Cedar Lake Island was part of a 150 acre parcel purchased in 1882 by John Henry Krohn. Due to its strategic location, the property was acquired in 1919 by the L.N. Dantzler Lumber Company and became, for a brief time, the heart of a bustling town. The area, known as “Vennie,” housed an operational saw mill, schooner dock, church, school and even a nightclub. With the depletion of the pine forests, the L.N. Dantzler Lumber Company withdrew in 1926 and the town was dismantled. Acquired by the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain in 2004, the property has returned to its natural state and is an important stopover for migratory birds, including blue heron, osprey and pelican.

Bon Silene (Charnl

ey-Norwood Hous

Shaw Homestead E L E VA T I O N

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diversifying

PRESERVATION IN MISSISSIPPI THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION (NTHP)

DR. RICO D. CHAPMAN Dr. Chapman is Interim Chair of the Department of History and Philosophy at Jackson State University and teaches courses in Historic Preservation. He sits on the Jackson Historic Preservation Commission and is an MHT board member.

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held its PastForward conference in Washington, D.C., November 3-6, 2015, at the historic Omni Shoreham Hotel. I had the honor of being selected as one of the Diversity Scholars, sponsored in part by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Park Service. Diversity Scholars included an array of historic preservation professionals, graduate students, and practitioners committed to enhancing their respective community’s through historic preservation efforts. The driving theme throughout this past year’s conference was diversity and inclusion, thus highlighting how important it is for historic preservationists to not only look at

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saving and restoring spaces and places; but also the necessity in preserving indigenous cultures and languages that are represented in those spaces as well. The Diversity Summit Executive Panel Discussion explored how aligning with civil rights and social justice action to ensure diverse representation in the preservation of the places could shed light on hidden inequalities and create equity in communities. The built environment is a reﬂection of our value system and as one of the main speakers of the conference, Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, pointed out, it also “reinforces and hides inequality.” It is, therefore, incumbent on historic preservation organizations to face these issues head on in an effort to democratize the ﬁeld and

Photos courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation / David Keith Photography, Belinda Stewart Architects • MHT

empower citizens and municipalities with the knowledge needed to make informed and well thought out decisions regarding its historic sites. It only makes sense that the future of historic preservation continues to embrace interpretive history and experimental thinking when it comes to diversity. Some of these points were highlighted in the day-long Diversity Summit where the goal in having these conversations were to “(1) create a call to action for preservation and heritage based organizations to form substantial partnerships in saving important places and (2) establish a national network of communities committed to addressing diversity-related preservation issues,” states Jacqueline Johnson, manager of programmatic diversity at the National Trust. Identiﬁed at the Summit were links between social justice and historic preservation where issues often connect with places thus giving value and creating teachable spaces where dialog and trust can be built. In closing, the Mississippi Heritage Trust is positioned to lead in this effort to diversify historic preservation in Mississippi. The State is not short of places of adversity, contention, and triumph that can serve to educate its populace around the necessity to preserve historic sites that give value, promote diversity, and encourage a sense of place by all of its citizens. Historic preservationists in Mississippi have an important role in shaping the perception of this state and it is vitally signiﬁcant that the Mississippi story be told through place by garnering an voices from its diverse communities. Mississippi Heritage Trust is a statewide partner of the

Pictured: Examples of African American heritage sites listed on MHT’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places, Isaiah T. Montgomery House in Mound Bayou (In Progress) and the Amzi Moore Home in Cleveland (Saved, also a part of the Mississippi Blues Trail)

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It’s Reallty HAPPENING

ERICA W. SPEED

Erica W. Speed is the Special Projects Coordinator for MHT. A native of Atlanta and resident of Jackson, MS, she developed a love for preservation at an early age, inspired by her father and growing up in two historic neighborhoods. She has been a volunteer with MHT since 1998 and relies on her background in interior design, event planning and volunteerism with various organizations to further MHT’s mission around our state. Pictured with MHT board member, Stephanie Stewart

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By the time the fourth person contacted us about renting the Lowry House, I began to realize it really is going to happen. I’ve been accused of many different things in my life, but being overly optimistic or even being compared to the pig-tailed Pollyanna is usually not one of them. However, the decade-long journey of the Lowry House restoration will, in actuality, come to an end this spring. It really will become a viable, income producing, multifaceted historic property – a Mississippi Landmark brought back from the brink

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of destruction to see another day. With this positive revelation, one may want to go back and review the past ten years – the good, the bad and the ugly. Historic preservationists around the state would be able to share in the tales of what I’m sure would be similar stories of arduous fundraising, painstaking architectural detailing, deafening doubt and frustrating roadblocks. But, as every card-carrying preservationist (a Lollyism) knows, the ugly and bad come with a healthy dose of good. The past successes of

Photos courtesy of MHT / Lolly Barnes, Amber Lombardo

Beau Bailey removes damaged plaster.

At long last, a sewer connection.

our passionate mission to save historic places is the fuel that keeps a project like the Lowry House on simmer, even if for years and years and years. In our world, “In Progress” is a far better moniker than “Lost”. At the 2015 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi program, we proudly displayed the Lowry House in the “Saved” room, along with other marvelous properties that have come back to life as civic centers, art galleries, commercial spaces, event venues, museums and a hotel. Our historic home’s use plan can almost check all those boxes (though we did away with the shower originally planned, so hotel might be a stretch). Our work around the state allows the Mississippi Heritage Trust to see that sometimes, to save a historic treasure, you must be open to a wide range of possible uses – a school as an event venue, a depot as a civic space, a courthouse as condominiums or even a jail as archives storage. Any of these projects, be they decades in the making like the King Edward Hotel in Jackson or a just a few years from start to finish, would not be possible without a concerted team effort. The lone preservationist waving a checkered flag is noble and might get the race started, but crossing the finish line without help is pretty rare. The Lowry House would be silent splinters buried underneath the black-top if only one voice had shouted out its value. Instead, the house was nominated to our 2005 Endangered list, then championed by Baptist Hospital, MHT board members and staff and supported by funding from the State of Mississippi and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, as well as from corporate and

private donors, and restored by skilled and enthusiastic architects, engineers, carpenters, plumbers, plasterers and electricians, who gave generously of their time and knowledge. Take a moment to look through our listing of partners and teammates. The significance of the Lowry House might not mean the same thing to Len with Bufkin Mechanical, who endured a frightful case of poison ivy because the sewer line had to be hand-dug through the roots and underbrush of a massive oak tree, or Pat with McInvale, who came in the evenings after what was already a full day of work to install our HVAC system. Luckily, the passion for what we do (plus as-yet unfulfilled promises of homemade pies) can be quite contagious, because preservation means so much more than just saving an old house and standing back to admire it. It is not an embalming but an organic process that preserves the “living” aspects of a place, which is a great thing for us as not many brides want to get married in a mortuary (unless you are a member of the Adams family). When I was lamenting the fact that the Lowry House was not as far along as I had hoped for our 10 Most event, renowned architect Bob Adams assured me that people like to see a preservation project in progress. He was right – the evening’s event was made even more special by the windows of the past still gaping wide as you peered through a half plastered wall. But in the end, as we welcome our first Lowry House bride this spring, I want to not only be called a Pollyanna but a Know-It-All and proudly say “I told you so!”

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BeOne

Contributors LOWRY HOUSE

We still have lots of work to do and lots of money to raise to do it, so please consider sending a donation to the Mississippi Heritage Trust for the Lowry House Restoration Fund. We will put your money to good use as we reﬁnish the beautiful hardwood ﬂoors, paint the interior, construct stairs and a handicap ramp and plant plenty of magnolias to celebrate preservation in Mississippi.

2005-2015

Thank you to the many friends and supporters who have helped to make the restoration of the Lowry House a reality.

State of Mississippi Mississippi Department of Archives & History Baptist Health Systems The 1772 Foundation Regions Bank Robert Parker Adams

Dorothea Gholson

Cindy S. Phillips

Marion Alford

Robert B. Gibson

Jess Pinkston

Jimmy Atwood

Lynn & Robert Hall

Hilda & Kirkham Povall

Gwen and David Ball

Claire & Elbert Hilliard

Peggy & Ken P’Pool

John Barnes

Steven Hollister

Mr. & Mrs. E.M. Preziosi

Lolly and Chris Barnes

Carolyn & Keith Horne

David Preziosi

Ray L. Bellande

Sandra & Peyton Irby

Dr. & Mrs. Robert Rives

James Homer Best

Peggy Jeanes

Carol B. Robertson

Lucy H. Bishop

Bobbie G. Kenna

Helen & Nat Rogers

Tomas R. Blackwell

Sally Kepple

Steven T. Scott

David R. Bowen

Henry LaRose

Mrs. W.C. Brewer

Sedgewood Plantation

Dawn Maddox

W.P. Bridges

Hampton Shive

Nelwyn Madison

Elke & Frederick Briuer

Larry D. May

Cynthia Brubaker

Jim McCraw

Jean B. Butler

Mrs. Glenn L. McCullough

Brenda & Sidney Caradine

Sarah H. McCullough

Janet & John Clark

Donald R. McGukin

DeLoach Cope

Mary Eliza Love McMillian

Meredith & Jimmy

Linda & Kenneth McMurtrey

Creekmore

Mississippi Historical Society Mike Mockbee William Morris

H.L. Dilworth

Carol & Cavett Taff Jan & Zach Taylor Ancel Tipton John H. Triplett Isla Tullos Jon C. Turner William E. VanCleve, Sr. Carroll Waller Water Valley Main Street

James T. Dudley

National Trust for Historic Preservation

James R. Dunsworth

Deborah Wise Oakley

Robert H. Weaver

Edward Esau

Mary F. O’Neal

Rebecca Wiggs

Dr. & Mrs. Owen Evans, Jr.

Patsy Pace

Wilma Wilbanks

Corinne Fox

James W. Person, Jr.

John R. Wright

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Francis & Louis Watson

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Please send your contribution to the Mississippi Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 577, Jackson, MS 39205 before May 31, 2016 to be listed as one of the proud preservationists who gave new life to this lovely old building.

Photo courtesy of Bob Neal

Mrs. William Lee Crim Margaret & Brett Cupples

Quinn Smith Erica & Stewart Speed

PRESERVATION TEAM AC Supply Advanced Engineering Resources, Inc. Belote Contracting Bufkin Mechanical, Inc. Burns Cooley Dennis, Inc. Canizaro Cawthon Davis Carr Plumbing Supply Central Building Services ConSteelCo, Inc. Claire Cothren Davis Land Surveying & Engineering, LLC Floyd & Baird Engineering, Inc. Gregory Free and Associates Mark Gremillion Historic Renovations of Yazoo Roman O. Ingram, Inc. Johnny T. Jenkins JTM Stone and Tile Inc. M & M Services, Inc. Magnolia Electric Company Stacy McFerrin McInvale Heating and Air Means House Moving, Inc. Chris Myers Nice and Clean Old House Depot Old South Brick and Supply Christian Preus Landscape Architecture Randall Rooﬁng & Metal, Inc. Restaurant and Bar Equipment of Jackson Stephanie Stewart Storied Salvage Strong River Construction Kevin Taylor Terry Services Inc. Aven Whittington David Wright Zmitrovich Design Works, LLC

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Jackson’s newest event venue, the lovingly restored historic home of Mississippi Governor Robert Lowry A V A I L A B L E B E G I N N I N G A P R I L 2016 1031 N. CONGRESS STREET • JACKSON, MS • LOWRYHOUSE@MISSISSIPPIHERITAGE.COM OWNED & OPERATED BY THE MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST • WWW.MISSISSIPPIHERITAGE.COM

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2015 10 MOST ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES IN MISSISSIPPI Mississippi Historic Tax Credit Grenada Airﬁeld Hangar Hugh Craft & Son Surveying Ofﬁce Holly Springs Jourdan River School • Kiln Margaret’s Grocery • Vicksburg Melmont • Natchez Old Wilkinson County Jail • Woodville Phoenix Naval Stores • Gulfport The French Hotel • Senatobia Webb Depot To learn more about these historic places, visit www.ms10most.com

On October 22, 2015, the Mississippi Heritage Trust revealed the 10th list of 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi to a crowd of over 400 guests at the Lowry House in Jackson.

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Dominique Pugh

Hollidae Morrison and Paul McNeill

Charles Latham

Honorary Chairman Elbert Hilliard addressed the crowd.

Danin Benoit

Swayze and Will Pentecost, Brad and Sara Tisdale

Hayes Dent, Stewart Speed, Becky and Don Potts

Haley and Allison Fisackerly, Senator John Horhn, Sally Birdsall, Chip Estes

Robert and Melissa Hutchinson, Carolyn and Chris Ray

Photos courtesy of Northside Sun / Anthony Warren, Creative Process, MHT / Amber Lombardo

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Mark Talley and Lolly Barnes

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Sherry Lucas and Virgi Lindsay Images of past endangered places light the Lowry House Robert Arender with the Apothecary at Brentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Drugs serves up Plaster Smashes

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A proud preservation victory highlighted in the exhibit Guests enjoyed a delicious repast courtesy of For Heavenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes Artwork and images showcase the 2015 endangered places A beautiful night at Lowry

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Contributors 10 MOST

Sarah McCullough Meredith & Jimmy Paul McNeill Creekmore Hollidae Morrison Carolyn & Hayes Dent GOLD CUPOLA Rachel & Chris Myers The Doyce H. Deas AIA Mississippi Amanda & Scott Overby Foundation Mississippi Arts Louis Rash F.O. Givens & Company Commission Carolyn & Chris Ray Guaranty Bank & Trust Mississippi Humanities Blue & Bill Reeves Claire & Elbert Hilliard Council Susan & Stuart Rockoff Horne LLP National Endowment for Sharon & Mark McCreery Brother Rogers the Arts Carla & Randall Wall Regan & Billy Painter National Trust for Historic Hilda & Kirkham Povall Ginger & John Weaver Preservation Lisa Wigington Mandy & Brad Reeves & Erin Delton Senatobia Investment SILVER SPIRE Company FRIENDS Jennifer & Darrell Baughn Erica & Stewart Speed The Apothecary Lolly & Chris Barnes Sycamore Bank at Brent’s Drugs Sanderson Farms Stella Gray & Phillip Sykes Creative Process, LLC Ethel Truly Isla Tullos Davaine Lighting United Mississippi Bank Eventful BRONZE DOOR Vise & Morgan LLC For Heaven’s Cakes Albert & Associates Webz Advertising Lazy Magnolia Architects Southern Wine & Spirits Belinda Stewart PARTNER Sugaree’s Bakery Architects Mississippi Delta National Swing de Paris BlueCross BlueShield of Heritage Area Yalobusha Brewing Co. Mississippi City of Senatobia PATRONS EVENT Susan Higgs & Chad Miller Sidney Bondurant HONORARY CHAIRS Libby & Al Hollingsworth Stephanie & Craig Busbea Governor William F. Jim Ingram Carter Burns Winter Maron Marvel Bradley and Margaret & Brett Cupples Elbert Hilliard Anderson, LLC Inglish & Matt Devoss Ken P’Pool Peggy & Ken P’Pool Anne & Mike Dulske Dominique & Brian Pugh Allison & Haley Fisackerly EVENT CHAIRS Senatobia Main Street Nell & John Flynt Brad Reeves Storied Salvage Company Betsy & Jason Greener Stella Gray Sykes Tate County Economic Brooke & Charles Development Foundation Greenlee EVENT COMMITTEE Eugene Tullos Michelle & Web Sherri Bevis Visit Mississippi Heidelberg Phyllis Doby Melissa & Robert Steve Hendrix Hutchison BRASS KEY Sharon McCreery Janet & John Clark Francine & Bill Luckett

Photos courtesy of Northside Sun / Anthony Warren, Creative Process, MHT / Amber Lombardo

PRESENTED BY BankPlus

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Jan Miller Hollidae Morrison Chris Myers Stacy Pair Swayze Pentecost Savannah Tirey Stuart Tirey Isla Tullos JURY Carter Burns, Chair Rolando Herts Briar Jones Terrance Sanders Jeff Seabold Belinda Stewart Tom Tardy Brad Tisdale RESEARCH TEAM Sally Birdsall Liz Carroll Rebecca Orﬁla Joy Parikh Amanda Wells ARTISTS Anthony Difatta William Goodman Josh Hailey Curtis Jaunsen Briar Jones Spence Kellum Ellen Langford Bob Neal H.C. Porter Wyatt Waters Malcolm White Ginger Williams-Cook EXHIBIT Madison & Mark Talley TALLstudio Architecture, PLLC |

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Saved! After Hurricane Katrina, 2005

PRESERVATION Erected on Round Island in 1859 at a cost of $7,130.97, Round Island Lighthouse in Pascagoula has weathered more than its share of hard times. It was in operation until 1944 and ofﬁcially taken out of service in 1954. Numerous hurricanes have rolled onto the Mississippi coastline over the years but the damage sustained by Hurricane Georges (1998), coupled with beach erosion, caused the icon to topple and crumble into the sand. The Round Island Lighthouse was listed as one of Mississippi’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2000. With further damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the future of the Round Island Lighthouse was dim. In 2010, the City of Pascagoula 58

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began the process of relocating the structure to the foot of the Pascagoula River Bridge with funding from partners including FEMA, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), Tideland Trust Fund Grants and local sponsorships. The effort has garnered several awards at the state and national levels including a Heritage Award from MHT. After a ﬁve year restoration, the lighthouse was lit on November 13, 2015 and opened to the public. The Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society is still seeking funding to maintain and operate the lighthouse. Tax-deductible donations may be made by calling 228/938-6639.

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The base is transported to Pascagoula, 2010

Photos courtesy of Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society / Jeff Rester • City of Pascagoula

beacon

ROUND ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

SAVE THE DATE! SAVE THE DATE!

Think unexpected. Think global. Think the future. This year’s PastForward conference attendees will be energized and challenged as we look at the role preservation can play in securing more healthy, sustainable, just and attractive cities during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the National Historic Preservation Act. As the national conference for those in the business of saving places, we want you to join us for PastForward Think unexpected. Think global. Think the future. 2016 to share Houston’s powerful preservation This year’s PastForward conference attendees story and be part of the important discussions theenergized future of theand movement! willforbe challenged as we look at

Since we started in 1947, our chicken has been free of extra salt, water and other additives. It’s not just 100% natural. It’s 100% chicken. For recipes visit us at SandersonFarms.com or find us on Facebook.

theMORE roleINFO: preservation can play in securing more Visit PastForwardConference.org! healthy, sustainable, just and attractive cities during the 50th anniversary celebrations of the National Historic Preservation Act. As the national conference for those in the business of saving places, we want you to join us for PastForward 2016 to share Houston’s powerful preservation story and be part of the important discussions for the future of the movement! MORE INFO: Visit PastForwardConference.org!

Proud Supporter of

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1/28/16 9:45 AM

Interior Design FOR HISTORIC BUILDINGS

CLAIRE COTHREN

MHT Board Member Claire Cothren is a native of Natchez and is currently the Director of Interior Design and Historic Preservation at Waycaster & Associates.

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Much has been written on the subject of restoration and renovation of historic structures. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation provide guidelines on how to treat architectural elements, structure and materials. But most of these guidelines and advice are focused on exterior preservation. While the exterior of a building is the “face” of the structure and often defines the overall style and character, interiors of buildings are equally as important and are far less discussed. Designing an interior for a historic building that has been previously renovated or altered is especially challenging. The building itself may be over 100 years old and have undergone many additions and changes in style through its lifetime that have achieved a level of historic significance in their own right. Often, even for professionals, it can be difficult to decide where to begin. Luckily, many of the suggestions for exterior preservation can also be applied to interior modifications. While one should always take into consideration the building’s historical significance and potential listing on a local, state, or federal register, the rules governing alterations that can be made to an interior are not as stringent as those for exteriors. Owners generally have more leeway inside their building, but should always consider the historic significance and avoid drastic changes that would affect the buildings overall character. As an interior designer who works with many historic buildings, finding a balance between a structure’s current use and the original plan can be difficult as social functions have changed, but here are some general guidelines to follow: 1.

Consider the building’s original style and function. Was your home originally built in the Greek Revival Style but received a Victorian makeover? Are you rehabilitating an industrial warehouse into an apartment? Deciding what time period you would like to focus on is the ﬁrst step in designing your interiors. This can help you decide to remove added walls or open enclosed porches. Choosing a time period can also help in choosing decorative items like light ﬁxtures and paint colors. Even if you are changing the entire function of the building, consider design solutions to highlight the original use and design.

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If possible, retain the original ﬂoorplan and room relationships. Social traditions have changed drastically throughout the years, with secondary spaces such as the kitchen becoming the primary area of the home. When deciding to remove walls or change the functions of rooms, attempt to keep changes to secondary spaces. Examine design choices that may preserve the idea of the feature. Sometimes an opening in a wall can simply be widened or an interior door can be saved for use in another location. While a building must be able to function for a modern use, the interior should also reﬂect appropriate period style and character of the building.

Artist Studio, Falk House, Jackson

Photo by MHT / Amber Lombardo

Retain character-defining features. Character defining features of a building may be anything from a custom fireplace mantel to a hallway phone niche or original plumbing equipment. These are the things that make your building special and tell its story. This includes original finishes like metal ceilings or plaster walls. Original finishes should never be removed for aesthetic purposes only.

Use care when installing new HVAC, plumbing and electrical equipment. Work with professionals to explore the best and least intrusive methods for installing new systems into your historic home. Place chases in secondary and inauspicious areas, and avoid the removal of original material if at all possible.

Consult a Professional. An architect, designer, contractor who specializes in historic restoration can be a great asset to a building owner during the restoration process. Also consider consulting your local preservation or historical society for more information on methods and resources for your restoration.

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Blue August in the former Kirk Hardware building (above), Baldwyn, MS

JEANNIE WALLER ZIEREN

Jeannie is the Director of Training & Information Services at Mississippi Main Street Association Story and photos adapted from Baldwyn Magazine, Jason Collum

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What began in 1977 as an experiment with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to save three Midwestern downtown cities has grown to become a national movement of which Mississippi Main Street is very proud to be a part. Since 1980, thousands of communities throughout the nation have joined the Main Street program and applied its Four Point Approachďż˝ in Organization, Design, Promotion and Economic Vitality with successful, lasting changes. Downtown development plus historic preservation

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building STORIES

is an economic catalyst! The Mississippi Main Street communities are an excellent example of how the innovative framework of the Main Street approach helps communities preserve their unique heritage while building a vibrant commercial district. From small, rural towns to large, urban districts, the Main Street model has proven to be an effective economic development engine for a town or city of any size. The following case study of Baldwyn, Miss. demonstrates the

Photos courtesy of The Baldwyn News

power of the Main Street method of

downtown revitalization through historic preservation. With a population of just 4,000 in the hills of Northeast Mississippi, Baldwyn might sound like a sleepy little Southern town. And, 20 years ago, it might have lived up to that perception. Driving downtown, one would see a pretty desolate street with many shuttered storefronts. What has occurred since then has been described by Baldwyn residents as a “revival.” Led by dedicated downtown merchants and business leaders, and the help of the Baldwyn Main Street Chamber, downtown is now ﬂourishing. “The chamber is actively working to aid the historical district, school system, business and industry in promoting and growing our beautiful community,” said Lori Tucker, Director of the Baldwyn Main Street Chamber. “We offer networking opportunities, promotional listings, façade grants, festivals and events, scholarship opportunities and coop advertising, just to name a few.” By the end of 2015, of the 40 storefronts that exist down Main Street and the side connector streets, only six were vacant, with two of the six being in the midst of renovation, and two others slated for renovation in the near future. Baldwyn’s downtown renovation began in the mid-1990s when Baldwyn native Earl Stone remodeled the ﬁrst

buildings, 101 and 103 West Main. Following these, additional historic buildings were bought and renovated for new use, including The Old Post Office Restaurant, an antique and fine furniture store, and an art gallery. Stone and his son Gary began renovating additional buildings with the vision to see Baldwyn come alive again. Some of Stone’s renovation work includes the restoration of the building that is now home to the Blonde Pistol Boutique, as well as the Kirk Hardware building, which is now the home of Blue August, an elegant meeting space in downtown. Restoring these historic buildings takes time and a significant amount of attention to detail in order to do it well, while following the guidelines of the Federal and State Preservation Tax Incentive programs administered by the National Park Service (NPS). The strict guidelines in historic renovation set forth by NPS are in order to maintain as much of the original look and feel of the historic buildings as possible. Photographs and documentation must be submitted at each stage of construction, from when it’s considered for renovation to what it looks like when it is stripped down, and then when it’s being built back up in an effort to maintain historical integrity. The rehabilitation work often takes more than a year on each building. Currently, renovations are underway for 104 and 106 West Main Street, with plans for this space to house a 1930s-era hamburger shop, with the original soda fountain from Tom’s Drug Store as its centerpiece. Cabinets in the restaurant will house some of the collection of history of Baldwyn, including old literature, pictures and signs. The goal is for the soda fountain and restaurant to generate enough revenue to support the housing and display of the

historical collection. The upstairs of the buildings will feature apartments. “Baldwyn has numerous unique historical assets, such as a Main Street divided by split county lines, historic buildings, homes and façades, MS Final Stands Interpretative Center, a community theatre, a cultural arts studio and all the outstanding people that call Baldwyn ‘home,’” Tucker said. There is still work to be done in Downtown Baldwyn and the surrounding area, but the bulk of the restoration work has been done. The result has been an increase in economic vitality as well as civic pride. Redevelopment has occurred both on and off Main Street. Businesses have expanded and more buildings have been renovated. Parking has become a “problem” in that there are many times when a parking space is hard to ﬁnd. This spells success for Main Street! With all the success and momentum, Tucker wisely notes, “It is up to us to tell our story and capitalize on that.” Blue August (top) in the former Kirk Hardware building, Baldwyn, MS

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cheers

PRESERVATION RUDOLPH “COTTON” BARONICH, 86, Yugoslavian, and still charming the ladies, sat down with us at Hal & Mal’s in Jackson to share a few memories. Born in Biloxi, Cotton has endless stories about characters from all over the world who enjoyed libations with him at one of his numerous stops along the way. While on the coast, Cotton tended at Bariceu’s, The Ebb Tide and Gulf Hills. He moved to Jackson in 1970, making stops at Hal & Mal’s, the Sun-N-Sand Motel (a hot spot across the street from the state capitol), the George Street Grocery and, fondly, the Edison Walthall Hotel. Cotton’s southern charm is infectious but he waxes nostalgic when he talks of his late wife Jean Shamberger, a ballerina and owner of a dance school. “Moisturizer and lipstick only, honey. Skin like silk. When she walked into the room, I said ‘Oooohhhh dahlin’, now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.’” The two were known for shaking things up on the dance ﬂoor. We asked Cotton to shake-up a little something for us. He cheerfully obliged. SAZERAC COCKTAIL 1 dash Absinthe 1 1/2 oz. Rye Whiskey 3 oz. Ice 1 tsp. Sugar 2 dashes Angostura Bitters 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 1 twist Lemon Peel Chill an old-fashioned glass by ﬁlling with crushed ice. In another glass, mix the sugar with the bitters dissolving the sugar. Add some ice, stirring to chill. In the old-fashioned glass, remove the ice and pour in the absinthe, coating the entire glass. Remove the excess absinthe. Add rye whiskey, bitters/ sugar mixture and lemon twist. “I charge you $15,” quipped Cotton, with a million-dollar smile.

Cotton shakes-up a memory for us at Hal & Mal’s in Jackson

Cotton has always been a gracious host with an easy smile

Preservation. Adpative Reuse. Catalyst Projects. Private Sector Investment. Public Private Partnerships.

Real Economic Development. Mississippi Main Street Communities have millions of reasons to love the MS Historic Tax Credit

56 communities across Mississippi using grassroots economy building to preserve our heritage

msmainstreet.com

COMMITMENT TO

Commitment to community is one of our core values. BankPlus is committed to building strong communities throughout Mississippi by improving quality of life and making a positive difference where we live and work.

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