Walnut Room this way

Walnut Room this way
Rio.

Friday, November 7, 2014

The corner of S. Jefferson and Pulaski in Macon

c. 1880 building at 300 S. Jefferson Street
Okay, really, ya'll down in Macon--and you know who you are--this should just not be this hard.  And, to spread the blame around, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and National Register of Historic Places, and Google maps, and City of Macon business search, and--oh, wait, this could take a long time.

I never know if it is a blessing or a curse that I am like a dog with a bone when I want to know something and cannot find it.  You see, the problem is that there is no consistency in the world.  Yes, that's right--No consistency!  Every logical rule you think might help you figure out blocks, street addresses, N, S, E, and W--all goes out the window depending on who laid out the town.  I do have to admit that I am far more skilled at it than I used to be, what with discovering how to use MDAH/HRI, newspaper archives for which I pay a pretty penny (that means one of the shiny new ones I guess) but has proved essential in my New Deal research, and has also boosted my hobby related to architectural history.  The ability to connect historical addresses and locations with current Google maps (yeah, another MDAH/HRI assist) has been especially helpful as well.
In desperation, I started looking at the zoom for clues, and that is when I discovered the actual address of the building--which is nothing close to what Google maps says, the address of the building next door says, ad infinitum.  With the correct address, though, it is a short leap to the rest of the story.

Which, really is not much of a story, even after all of this lead in.  I just love buildings with a canted entrance, or corner entrance, or beveled entrance, or whatever anyone elects to call an entrance on the angle.  I love the variation of the posts, pillars, columns, poles that support that corner overhang, whether brick, stone, iron, wood, round, square, or whatever.

This corner building is described in the NRHP nomination form by E. Pauline Barrow (2001):
A painted brick one-story commercial building with a decorative parapet of bricks laid on end vertically forming a denticulated cornice over an indented tablet.  Replacement corner double-leaf entrance doors (NE) having single glass transoms and sidelights, all set in metal and an iron column supporting the beveled corner.  Another engaged iron column separates two round-arched recessed windows, also set in metal.  Lunette windows pierce the north elevation, as well as a second side entrance to a separate business.
While I have no clue as to what they sell or display in that building that I would venture to guess was once a bank or drug store, if you find yourself in Macon, drive by, better yet, stop and look.  And, note to self, next time I am in a city, just make a note of the address while I am standing right there next to it.

4 comments:

Lana Pugh said...

It's a clothing boutique but I can find out for you what it used to be.

Suzassippi said...

Ah, you are so sweet. :) I am going with bank or drug store, based on the others in Mississippi built around then--it was a popular design for both, apparently. But, I am wiling to be wrong--I am wrong a lot.

Lana Pugh said...

Ok, after confirming with a few sources this building was the infamous Farris' bookstore owned by Mrs. Clara Farris that was open for years and years. It was a hangout for all the local kids growing up.

Suzassippi said...

A bookstore that was a hangout for kids--that's a first for me! Good for Mrs. Farris--well, assuming it was books they should read. :)