by Sarah M. Newton
Architect and secretary, Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association

The scope of the destruction and loss that befell the historic structures throughout the Gulf Coast Region by Hurricane Katrina is beyond belief. While thousands of historic homes and buildings fell prey to the fierce storm surge, hundreds of inland structures throughout the South Mississippi interior received winds that were in excess of 100 mph. According to the National Weather Service, the Hattiesburg area sustained winds of 95 mph, with wind gusts in excess of 110 mph.

As the storm subsided and we were able to survey the historic treasures in our downtown area, in particular the Old Hattiesburg High School, our initial response was one of relief as the structure appeared to stand as majestically as it had when it welcomed students every morning nearly 50 years ago. Yet the relief has quickly turned to alarm, and the Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association (HHDA) is organizing its efforts to replace the roof and windows removed or destroyed by the storm.

Jacobethan jewel
The Old Hattiesburg High School is actually composed of two brick structures; the 1911 building is a handsome three-story building, and the 1921 addition is a striking four-story building designed by a prominent Hattiesburg architect in the Jacobethan style. Together, they comprise nearly 80,000 square feet that once contained lofty classroom spaces, grand stairways and corridors, an enchanting interior courtyard, and a sophisticated auditorium. The Old Hattiesburg High School is proclaimed by architecture historians to be one of the finest examples of Jacobethan architecture in Mississippi.

The building served as a public high school until 1959 and then as administrative offices for the Hattiesburg Public School District during the 1980s. In 1987, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Sadly, the third-level auditorium eventually was condemned due to neglect, even as an antique shop operated out of the remainder of the building. In 2001, the tenant vacated the building, leaving the unoccupied structure vulnerable to an accelerated demise. This action prompted the Mississippi Heritage Trust to place the Old Hattiesburg High School on its “10 Most Endangered List” of 2003.

Amazing team effort
The importance of this historic jewel has not been overlooked by HHDA. In realizing its potential for cultural and economic development for downtown Hattiesburg, HHDA established Hattiesburg Landmark Preservation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, to purchase the building and qualify for public grants. The newly formed entity purchased the building in 2002 and quickly secured grant money necessary to protect the building from further deterioration by weather, squatters, and vermin.

In the meantime, the heads of nearly a dozen Hattiesburg public organizations, including the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the City of Hattiesburg, the Hattiesburg Public School District, the Area Development Partnership, HHDA, and a handful of other civic and community groups formed the Southern Mississippi Arts and Restoration Team (SMART). The goal of SMART is to enhance the cultural, artistic, educational, business, and transportation offerings in downtown Hattiesburg.

A home for design students and the arts
The University of Southern Mississippi introduced a major component necessary to fulfill the goal of SMART when they publicly announced their desire to relocate their Department of Art and Design to the Old Hattiesburg High School. In addition, plans to move the University’s Museum of Art that currently attracts over 20,000 visitors annually have been discussed. While the presence of hundreds of Southern Miss art students and dozens of faculty would stimulate the need for residential and commercial growth, the addition of a first rate art museum would provide a tourism anchor in downtown Hattiesburg. The result of such a project would guarantee the necessary stimulus towards fulfilling the goal of SMART, as well as providing Mississippi with a unique educational offering.

In response to the developing reality of the Old Hattiesburg High School project, the City of Hattiesburg partnered with HHDA to secure grant money used to hire Albert & Associates Architects to survey the property and create a set of measured drawings. Furthering the project along, USM funded a pre-design phase to include a feasibility study and cost projection for rehabilitating the Old Hattiesburg High School to serve as the new home of the Department of Art and Design and the Museum of Art. In fact, USM was scheduled to unveil the pre-design phase publicly on September 1, 2005. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina caused the postponement of this major event until further notice.

Katrina destroys the envelope
HHDA, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, and Albert & Associates Architects formally reviewed the structure on September 19. Upon touring the facility, the group was greatly saddened to see that although the structure appears healthy, a great deal of the envelope protecting the structure has been compromised. A large portion of roof over the stage of the auditorium is destroyed, leaving the steel and wood structure, as well as the floors below, exposed to the weather; portions of the exterior load-bearing walls are severely damaged; and many of the formerly boarded windows have fallen out leaving gaping holes throughout.

It is the professional opinion of the architect that if the envelope of the building is not repaired and sealed immediately, and the moisture-laden contents removed, the building will not survive long enough to secure the funding for the rehabilitation project. HHDA feels that if the stabilization of the Old Hattiesburg High School is not addressed immediately, Mississippi will lose not only one of its finest works of architecture, but a major source of cultural and economic stimulation for Hattiesburg, one of its largest cities.

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