2023
Benson Cabin
Plantersville
The Benson Cabin is part of a very early nineteenth-century intact homestead from the earliest years of settlement in the old Chickasaw Territory in Itawamba County. The cabin has been home to 6 generations of the Benson family who purchased the property from a Chickasaw woman in 1837. The family operated a successful cotton gin, grist mill and store on the property into the 1950s. The house evolved in form from a two-room cabin constructed with square logs and mortise and tenon joinery to an early 20th century dog-trot farmhouse made with more modern factory produced lumber and nails. The owner of the home is no longer able to care for the property and the remote location leaves it venerable to break-ins and vandalism. The Benson Cabin and its surrounding property tells the story of the development of Northeast Mississippi and has the potential for further archeological and historical discoveries.
Flatiron Building
Eupora
The Flatiron Building in Eupora is a two-story brick building constructed in approximately 1915 on a triangular piece of land across the tracks from the original Eupora train Depot. The first floor was originally used as a restaurant and the upper floors were most likely used as a boarding house, and later apartments. The building is a contributing member of the Eupora Historic District and is considered a community landmark. The original balcony and most of the original windows and doors are missing and the building has suffered from disuse and neglect for many years. Despite several offers to purchase the building, the current owner has taken no action to sell or restore the building.
Lura’s
new albany
Lura’s is a modest metal building located near the now demolished passenger train depot in what was once a thriving Black community in New Albany. During segregation, it served as a restaurant and movie theater and still retains its original tin-clad projection box. Almost all other buildings in this area are lost except one that serves as a studio for soul artist Sam Mosely. The current owner purchased the space with hopes to turn it into an event venue, but the process proved cost-prohibitive, and the building has been vacant for many years. The only offers to buy the building are from those who wish to demolish it, but Lura’s is ready to be repurposed and returned to its original use as a community gathering space.
Knoxo Freedom Schools
Knoxo
Joe Magee and his wife Lucy bought two stores in Knoxo, a small town near Tylertown in Walthall County in the 1930s on the site of a railroad crossing and former large sawmill camp. They operated Joe Magee’s Grocery Store and Lucy Magee’s Dry Goods Store that operated through the Great Depression, WWII and the Korean War. In 1961 Bob Moses requested to use the stores as Freedom Schools during the Civil Rights Movement. He taught voter education classes for African Americans who wanted to register to vote in local, state, and national elections. Joe and Lucy’s daughter Ruby attended the Freedom Schools and became the first Black registered voter in Walthall County. Ruby still owns the buildings but lacks the resources to maintain them. These landmarks of the Civil Rights movement have been empty for many years and are suffering from neglect due to lack of use and funding.
Historic Homes of Ocean Springs
The city of Ocean Springs is steeped in Mississippi tradition and heritage. The city is home to six historic districts with over 400 contributing sites including Mississippi Landmarks. Rapid development and natural disasters have contributed to the loss and deteriorating of historic residential properties in the district. Notably, the O’Keefe Boarding House, Lynwood and the Von Rosambeau House are in danger of being lost to neglect and demolition. The Historic Ocean Springs Association and the newly formed Ocean Springs Historical Society are working diligently to ensure that Ocean Springs maintains a balance between growth and preservation of its rich architectural heritage.
Faler Mansion
bassfield
The Faler Mansion was built in 1910 by German immigrants John and Dora Faler in an unusual construction style featuring poured on-site concrete blocks and steel beams. The home is three stories high and is almost identical from every elevation. The 60 windows were originally fitted with stained glass, and there are 10 fireplaces throughout the structure. Though in disrepair, the home remains he most impressive structure in the small community of Bassfield. The family no longer owns the property and it has been sitting empty and neglected for at least 60 years. The unique construction methods have kept the house standing, but it declines daily. The Faler Mansion could be a showcase for historic preservation in Bassfield and spur additional preservation efforts in the area.
Wade School
hurley
The Wade School, circa 1926, is the earliest remaining consolidated school in Jackson County. It is an excellent example of school design during the early 20th century. The school opened in the fall of 1926, consolidating several one-room rural schoolhouses in the area. It was originally designed to house grades 1-10 with 4 classrooms and an auditorium. By the mid 1930s, the school was known as the Wade Consolidated Vocational High School and served grades 1-12. After construction of the East Central School in 1959, it is believed that the Wade School was converted into a teacher’s home. It has remained vacant since 2001 and is in poor condition. It was deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016, but Jackson County has submitted a Notice of Intent to MDAH for demolition of the building.
Alyene Quin Home
mccomb
Alyene “Mama” Quin owned a small cafe on Summit Street which became a center of civil rights activity in the McComb Movement. Her business was threatened by her white landlord so she began serving meals out of her own home. She supported voter registration and was a longtime member of the NAACP. Her home was bombed on Sunday, September 20, 1964, destroying the front of her house but narrowly missing her two sleeping children. Despite accusations from local authorities that Quin bombed her own home, she traveled to Washington D.C. the day after the bombing and met with Justice Department officials and President Lyndon Johnson to demand increased protection for Black people in McComb and the South. She continued to stay active in the movement for years to come. Her café is no longer standing, and her home deteriorates despite efforts from family to maintain the property. The Quin home is a testament to resistance and progress in McComb and Mississippi.
Prentiss Institute
prentiss
The Prentiss Normal and Industrial Institute Historic District is significant as one of the most widely recognized private African-American schools in early 20th century Mississippi. It was founded by Jonas and Bertha Johnson in 1907 and served as a major educational facility for blacks in the region until it closed in 1989. Johnson served as president of the university until his death in 1953 and was preceded by Bertha who died in 1971. At its height the school had more than 700 students, 24 buildings and 44 faculty members. The site is a National Register District and two buildings, including an impressive restored Rosenwald School are Mississippi Landmarks. While a few buildings are in use, much of the campus is neglected. There is an active alumni association and Board of Trustees who are working to see the campus returned to use.
Paramount Theater
clarksdale
The Paramount Theater was built in 1918 on Yazoo Avenue in Clarksdale to accommodate audiences for both vaudeville and stage productions, as well as projection movies. An exterior stair on the rear of the building that was originally the colored entrance serves as a clear reminder of the segregated seating in the balcony. Deferred maintenance and water intrusion have contributed to the auditorium roof collapse and loss of interior decorative elements. The building is owned by Griot Arts, a non-profit organization that has undertaken an intentional community engagement to learn and understand stories of those who experienced segregation in this facility and are working towards developing a design strategy that incorporates the collective memory of Clarksdale to bring the building back to life.
Dishonorable Mention:
Soso Gymnasium
Soso
The Soso Gymnasium was a rare stone gym built in the small town of Soso 1940. It was neglected for many years and had fallen into a state of disrepair. The Jones County School Board asked for approval for demolition from the Jones County Board of Education in April of this year, while mayor Ralph Cahill asked that the structure be turned over to the city so they could pursue funding for restoration. A majority of the roof caved in in August, and the school board quickly voted for demolition. The building was almost immediately demolished over a weekend, violating the State Antiquities Law because the building was under consideration to become a Mississippi Landmark, and the school board did not submit a Notice of Intent to demolish the building.