2015
Mississippi’s Historic Tax Credit
Statewide
Enacted in 2006 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Mississippi’s 25% historic tax credit helped save 252 historic places in its first ten years. In 2015 the program was out of funds, putting potential tax credit restoration projects in jeopardy. Since that time, the State of Mississippi Legislature has again funded this important incentive for historic preservation.
Grenada Airfield Hangar
Grenada
Owned by the City of Grenada, the Grenada Airfield Hangar was built in 1943 and opened in February of 1944. The airfield hangar served as home to the 443rd Air Support Command, 63rd Troop Carrier Group, 877th Airborne Engineering Battalion, 10th Troop Carrier Group and the 809th Air Force Unit. Still in use today, the Grenada Airfield Hangar is one of the few surviving wooden hangers in the state. In September 2021, the rear portion of the building collapsed, making the future of the Grenada Airfield Hangar uncertain.
Hugh Craft & Son Surveying Office
Holly Springs
Constructed prior to 1846, the Hugh Craft & Son Surveying Office is a rare example of an early professional office in Mississippi. Originally located at the intersection of North Memphis Street and Gholson Avenue, the building was relocated to its present site when City Hall was built in 1925. Hugh Craft came to Holly Springs in 1839 as a contract surveyor for the Federal Government and the American Land Company to survey land in Mississippi. After the American Land Company folded, Craft stayed in Holly Springs and started his own private surveying firm. When reports surfaced that the City of Holly Springs was considering demolishing the structure in 2015, community preservationists rallied to save it and the building has since been restored.
Jourdan River School
Kiln
The Journal River School is a one-room wooden schoolhouse constructed in 1929 which served as a center of learning for African American students in the community of Kiln until the desegregation of schools in the 1950s. The school was forgotten for many years until 2013 when the building was rediscovered by loggers near the Jourdan River. Abandoned to the elements for over fifty years, the Jourdan River School has sadly deteriorated but remains structurally sound.
Margaret’s Grocery
Vicksburg
When Reverend H.D. Dennis married Margaret Rogers in 1979 he committed himself to transforming her simple country store on Highway 61 into a wonderland of color to teach his ministry. Using various materials, Reverend Dennis shared his theological views with visitors from around the world through his creative vernacular artwork. Since Margaret Dennis passed away in 2009 and the Reverend in 2012, Margaret’s Grocery has been deteriorating. The roof is in poor condition and many of the colorful signs, sculptures, and ornaments are slowly being lost to time. Despite the loss of some of the artwork, the Mississippi Folk Art Foundation is committed to restoring Margaret’s Grocery to its former colorful glory.
Melmont
Natchez
Built in 1855 as the residence of the Henry Shaw family, Melmont was designed by James McClure with characteristics of both the Greek Revival and Italianate styles of architecture. Colonel Henry Basil Shaw built the house for his wife Mary Elizabeth Lattimore Shaw, and the house’s name derives from her initials M.E.L., combined with ‘mont’, which is the French word for mountain. Descendants of the Shaw Family remained in the house into the early twentieth century. After years of neglect, the current owner is working to restore the building.
Old Wilkinson County Jail
Woodville
Constructed in 1929, the Old Wilkinson County Jail was designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style. Today, the building is in poor condition and will be lost if action is not taken soon. The Wilkinson County Board of Supervisors have indicated that they would be willing to sell the building to someone who is willing to restore it.
Phoenix Naval Stores Office
Gulfport
Phoenix Naval Stores were part of the once-bustling timber industry in south Mississippi and employed many African Americans from the nearby neighborhood of Turkey Creek. The adjacent creosote plant was the scene of a massive explosion in the 1940s which killed eleven men. After the business closed, the office was converted into a residence and then left vacant for over twenty years. Community activist Derrick Evans purchased the building to prevent its demolition. With funding from the National Park Service African American Civil Rights Grant Program, a partnership between the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, the Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area and Turkey Creek Community Initiatives has restored the building to become a museum and community center.
French Hotel
Senatobia
The French Hotel was constructed in 1858 by Dr. A.M. Arnold French, making it one of the oldest buildings in Senatobia. The French Hotel is thought to have been the headquarters for General Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. Dr. French kept a hand-written description of inventory lost during all four raids of Senatobia during the war. The French Hotel has been left open to the elements for years and is currently in poor condition. Community activists are working with the owners to try to save the building.
Webb Depot
Webb
Webb Depot was built in 1909 by the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad as a combination of a passenger and freight depot. Constructed at the junction of two different railroads coming from three directions, the Webb Depot was a central part of life in this small Delta town for decades. The Webb Depot is currently privately owned and in stable condition but the building will require extensive restoration to bring it back to life. Community activists in Webb would like to restore the building and use it as a civic space.