First Presbyterian Church

 First Presbyterian was founded in 1837.  This building was constructed in 1881 in the Romanesque Revival style, popular with both Methodist and Presbyterian churches during the late 1800s.

 Cawthon described it as:

...eclectic Romanesque Revival character with some Italianate features. (Pace, 2007, Historic churches of Mississippi)

The Mississippi landmark in front of the church identifies it as founded by early settlers of Scottish descent.  My mother's family were also from Scotland, and came to the US to escape religious persecution during the conflicts between the Protestants and the Catholics.  They settled in Texas, however, where many Scottish were stonemasons and built many of the historic buildings in the area in which I grew up.  Our family were storekeepers, farmers, preachers, and teachers, so it is highly unlikely they ever were involved in building something as fine as First Presbyterian.

The Mississippi Landmark designation is the highest form of recognition bestowed on properties by the state of Mississippi and offers the fullest protection against changes that might alter a property’s historic character. Publicly owned properties that are determined to be historically or architecturally significant may be considered for designation. (MDAH website)

Hendricks Machine Shop Water Valley

 There is quite a history to this building, built in 1860 on Water Valley's Main Street.  The 15,000 square foot building was mentioned in the 1912 volume 12 edition of the Publication of Mississippi Historical Society, along with the fact that in 1860 when it was built, there were 9,531 slaves in Yalobusha County.

It is also listed in the 1918 publication Penton's Foundry List: Directory of the Gray and Malleable Iron, Steel, Brass and Aluminum Foundries in the United States and Canada.  

Mickey Howley, manager of the Water Valley Main Street Association, referred to the blue glass on the building as a "best example" of Carrera Glass.  Carrera glass was one of three trade names for pigmented structural glass, "a colored opaque glass popular on early 20th century buildings" (Preservation, 2002).  Vitrolite and Sani Onyx were the other two brand names.  Many 19th century buildings on Main Streets across the US added the opaque glass to "hide their 19th century dowdy masonry" (Preservation).   The first claimed manufacture of structural glass panels was in 1900, and it was a popular material from the period of 1907-1937.  These glass panels could have been added at any point.  Replacement panels are difficult to find as they have to be salvaged from buildings.

The 1931 Watermelon Carnival Parade featured two floats by the Hendricks Machine Shop.  In 2006, the building (apparently only briefly) housed the Grand Central Station Antiques and Tearoom.  In 2010, it was purchased by Bill McGregor and "recently renovated" in 2011, winning Water Valley Main Street Association's "Saving Heritage Award."  A studio for stained glass was housed in the building in April 2011.  In December 2011, it was listed for sale, but "set off-market" in February 2012.

How's your back side?

Cutting through the alley that runs behind the Oxford Square will give you a definitely different set of images than walking around the picturesque historic square.

This is the side entrance from the alley, into the Library--the one that is a bar, not the one with books.  It strikes me as an unusual door for an alley, but I don't know the original use of the building either.

 The vertical bar beneath the window would have held electrical wires.  I have seen these in other older buildings around the area.

These columns appear in front of City Grocery.  The rear column is clearly an original, and is a type of plaster over it.  I tried to read the sign at the base, but it has too many coats of paint to be clear enough.  there are two columns that appear to be reproductions (of wood) in front of the other column.  You can also note the iron step, similar to the others from the Chickasaw Iron Works in Memphis that have been noted at various locations around the area.

Mound Bayou Community Development: The Recreation Center

 Monday's post introduced you to the Magic City Italian and Seafood Restaurant that one of the groups designed for our youth-led community development workshop.  This group designed the Mound Bayou Recreation Center: An escape for children, with multiple activities, including basketball courts, tutoring centers, swimming lessons, tennis courts, and soccer fields.

Their plan for accomplishing this feat:

Children volunteer their time and help out,

Have fundraisers,

Protecting our building when it is built. 

This group illustrates some important characteristics in understanding youth and their needs and desires.  First, it indicates that youth do value the importance of physical activity, academic success, and team play.  As we have worked with them on developing upcoming summer activities, physical activities have always been on the list.  They want to succeed academically, and work hard to do so.

Second, it indicates (through their plan for accomplishing obtaining this in the community) that they are willing to help it be a success, they recognize that it takes money to build and sustain community facilities, and also that they are invested in caring for the facility, and have a sense of obligation and commitment for it.

They see the importance of learning to work in teams to accomplish a goal bigger than oneself.

Coming Soon to Mound Bayou: Magic City Italian and Seafood Restaurant

 Saturday was our monthly Youth Day in Mound Bayou.  They had asked for activities related to Arts and Crafts and Team Building Adventure Based projects.  Because part of the focus is in youth-led community development, and ties in with the City's goal of historic preservation and community development, we introduced a new twist.  Using the photographs from our first historic preservation workshop last October, the photos from the January Wintersession class, and some of the photos I have taken over my trips there, we created a paper database of parts of buildings in Mound Bayou.

I also threw in a few photos from other places around the state.  It was in keeping with the theme of the 125th anniversary coming up in July: preserving and building on the past, and motivating for the future.  The task of each group was to use the parts of buildings--doors, walls, windows, roofs, steps, etc., to create a building that did not currently exist in Mound Bayou, but which they would like to have in Mound Bayou.  They were to "build" their building, say why they wanted it, and identify 3 things they thought they/the community would need to do to achieve the plan for the building.

This group decided on Magic City Italian and Seafood Restaurant.  These parts of Italianate buildings were scattered throughout the pages of building parts, yet this group selected them, placed them together, and then called it an Italian restaurant, all the while never having heard of Italianate.  I have to ask, "How awesome is that?"  Good eye for design is my take on it.

Why do you want this business in Mound Bayou?  "Because we need to be able to go out and eat a nice meal without having to leave town."  "I like Italian food and seafood, and there is no place to get that here."

What do you need to do to have this business in Mound Bayou?  "Someone who knows how to be a chef."  "Investment money."  "Someone to work in the restaurant."

We asked if they might want to join us during our May Intersession class one night to prepare Italian food and seafood during one of our communal meals.  Absolutely.  Would they like to take some type of cooking class if we could offer it?  Yes.  If we could create some type of training program for this type of work, and have a small-scale cottage industry, would they be interested in helping to run it?  Yes.  Examples of this type of entrepreneurship/training are Cafe Reconciliation in New Orleans and the new Cafe Climb on the Gulf Coast.

Who knows, we might see Magic City Italian and Seafood Restaurant in Mound Bayou in a few years. Tomorrow, we will take a look another new building in the plans for Mound Bayou.  What's your guess as to what kind of business these youth planned next?

Lyric Theatre

 The Lyric Theatre first saw use as a livery stable and the construction is dated to the late 1800s (thelyricoxford.com).  During the 1920s, it was converted to a theatre for live shows and silent films and named "The Lyric."  Perhaps its most famous role in history is that the premier of Faulkner's Intruder in the Dust was held here.

 This picture of the Lyric shows its original marquee, and one can also observe that the doors were different.  I am making the assumption that these arched doors more likely reflect the original use as a livery stable, and the doors in the 1949 photo reflect "modern" theatre doors.

 I have taken a recent interest in photographing other parts of buildings since a few tips from Malvaney.  One can see clear evidence of original arched doors at the side and rear of the building.  I suppose these would have been necessary to be tall enough for a mounted rider, and wide enough for a buggy of some sort.

 Use as a theatre was discontinued in the 1970s, and the building sat unused for a number of years, until in the 1980s when it began to be used as a commercial building.  In 2007, it was restored as a theatre.

What stories do the seldom-seen parts of a building tell you?

Downtown Duncan

 Duncan was incorporated as a village in 1890.  The population increased fairly rapidly after 1900, and by 1904, the community boasted a bank and many other businesses.  The 1929 tornado demolished all of the buildings.  According to the Federal Writers Project Mississippi Guide to the Magnolia State, all buildings were rebuilt following clean up from the tornado.

 If that is accurate, then this building is post 1929 in construction.  I speculate that the double doors led into the business, flanked by glass showroom windows.  I know I am going out on a limb here, but I am wondering if the single door opened to a stairway that led to the upper floor, which might have housed living quarters.  I can't think of any other reason they would have installed a single door, unless it was in some later remodel.  The transom over the door also seems to indicate it would have allowed light into a dark stair well.

 Once again, our old friends at the Chickasaw Iron Works in Memphis were busy in Duncan, as well as Alligator and Mound Bayou.