Open Air; 530; Farish Street Preservation

Woman. The opinions expressed in the following program do not necessarily reflect the views of the Mississippi educational network or of its staff. Jack Schweitzer for open air on the program today we're going to be talking about federation street preservation in Jackson Mississippi. My guest on the program today are Michael hervé. He's executive director of the Federation street historic district neighborhood foundation. Glad to have you here Mr. Irving. Thank you Jacki. Glad to be here. And also Dr. Sandra F. Holley She is vice chairman of the Association for preservation of Smith Robertson school. Glad to have you. Thank you Jeanne. I'd like to

pose the first question to Mr. Hervey if I may please a bit about the Ferry Street Foundation. Give us some background. Sure. The Fair Street historic district neighborhood Foundation is a nonprofit organization. It was incorporated back in 1992 and it comprises 21 members on the board of directors and it represents a cross-section of individuals businesses and institutions within the fair St. historic district. And actually we're very fortunate that Sondra was one of the founding members of the foundation and has had a long history with the Fair Street historic district organization. Well Mr. Harvey when was the fairest really historic district designated. It was actually designated two times Jack it was a National Register of Historic District that was registered back in 19 80 on the national register for Historic Places. And again it was registered as

a local historic district in 1994. So we've we've had two designations for the Fair Street historic district and we're also fortunate to have one of our partners that works with the Fair Street district as the National Trust for Historic Preservation. So we actually do have a wonderful partner with the National Trust as well. Dr. Holly tell me a bit about your efforts in private preservation. Well Jack my family was a part of that early move to get historic designation along with other families within the historic district. And they spearheaded along with Dr. Alford Tina Harrison and Dr. Jesse Mosley. The interest in putting together the movement for historic designation from the private sector. Once we got the National Trust designation in 1980 and 84 my

family in 19. 83 restored one of our family buildings which has national historic marking and it is called The Hill Holly building and the word is that located. And it's right at the corner of Griffith and Farage and the building was recognized as being contributing not only architecturally but also from a historic standpoint. During the early years of the establishment of the community after the turn of the century Dr. Holly what do you feel makes a building really special and worthy of preservation. Well many people and myself feel the building would be recognized if it has particularly architectural

components that would be lost. Were they not preserved. It also would be connected to the historic nature of the building within the community. For example the building that my family restored was actually known as Hill hall and it had a lot of political activity during the time of the black and tan party during the areas of segregation and was very contributing to the community not just as a structure but what it housed. And I think that would be a part of what would give it its historic nature. Actually the Historic Preservation Commission also gives guidelines for that in the building would have to be at least 35 years older. My our building in particular is almost 100 years old and again the specific identity of what it means to the community and just emotionalism from

the community of. If someone wants to preserve that particular into T. OK. Mr. Herbie. Some of the significance sights that you have in the Ferry Street area. If we could comment a bit on that but first of all the area comprises what particular streets I think we have a map that we can show that will help us with that. OK very good. Well the map that you're looking at there is just one of the it's the commercial core door part of the commercial corridor within the fare Street district that actually encompasses the two block and attainment district which is part of the sub sub component of the overall entire district but the district itself Jack and company is approximately one hundred twenty five acres and plus a minus about 700 to seven hundred fifty residential units

in the Fair Street historic district. As Sandra talked earlier its history goes back to the turn of the century. In fact when it was really recognized as the location of where African-Americans located too that were following the migration at that time and after the Civil War and in fact many families and individuals not only settled there but actually are documented where they have contributed to the actual development of the residential properties and the commercial properties in the district itself. So it's a it's a really unique story that has a lot of rich history to it associated with that. OK we'll take a look at some of those homes though. These are some of the existing housing stock that exist in the district itself. Again a lot of them are very modest there. The basic shotgun housing which is indigenous to this part of the region that really has its

origins probably from the islands and has come to America and the South in particular and the shotgun houses. One of the prominent residential units that that exist in the Farrah Street district. OK. This picture here was one of the old hotels and it was recognized as the Greystone hotel and quite a wonderful structure itself it's currently currently vacated at this time but it would be one of the structures and types of structures that we would love to see to be able to be restored and maybe brought back to maybe a bed and breakfast or some other type of commercial use in the district itself. OK. This is an example of the Queen Anne style home with the gable roof and you can also recognize this is part of the Cohiba street a residential area and it actually serves

as where a lot of professional people and homeowners actually first settled in the Fair Street district and has both a lot of professionals as well as a lot of the early homeowners. The mix of both fun working class blue collar and professional people is living within the district itself but this is the call here. One of the properties on a street that is recognized as the early residential settlements in the district. OK. Here we're looking at a a bungalow house with the. It's got the three bay front gable house with the exposed rafters. It's got the columns and also the two windows on the right hand side as well. And with the gable roof. Once again one of the earlier home styles that exist in the district. OK.

Again looking at more of the home ownership the homes single family homes in the parish St. area this is more of a linear shot showing some of the actual elevations and again some of the typical models as far as the eye the bungalow and the Creoles cottages in the district. OK. Again here this is one of the older homes in the district. I don't remember the date exactly jack but it's one of the homes that again it's what we call an L-shape because it actually looks like the L if you follow the roof line around. And as part of the additional architecture that you will see in the Paris Street district. Right. And I believe this is one of the Queen Anne's again one of the older structures in the district and with a tremendous amount of historical significance and it has the porch the covered porch is with the hip rows and it also has

in this instance there's a rear door on the side so it's been kind of juggernaut this far as the way that the construction has occurred with this the unit itself. All right. Some of the commercial properties along Ferris tree in this particular case I think this building it's the old palace is correct there is a pronounced red sign that's a very old palace and was used a lot for entertaining and for live entertainment and then in the forestry area. All right again another one of the beautiful homes in the district. It has a little bit more detail into it with its actual architecture and the gables. You can see the the wonderful columns as well as the. It's got the three windows in the front and there's probably a little bit larger than is typically seen in the Fair Street in the Ferris Street area.

OK. And again one of the early Antebellum structures in the fairest district you can see there the basic bungalow and the basic design itself. It's one of the properties that had been built probably around turn of the century probably late 1800s or early 1900s and it's got a very basic form and that's one of the issues as far as the integrity in the district is just you have the the basic residential structures and construction in the area. OK. This was one of the homes that actually belonged to one of the earlier doctors in the Farrah Street community and it actually has what it was previously standing as the carriage house where I guess the actual horse and buggy would have actually been kept at at that point in time. And today unfortunately a lot of that structure has collapsed and deteriorated and part of the struggle that we have trying

to deal with the restoration and preservation of properties that have been abandoned for a long period of time. All right. This is a slightly unique and different type of structure it actually is within the district itself and it's a it's the old Greyhound bus station which is now serves as an architect's office and studio. And it as you can see it's from the period in the in the 60s with the Art Deco type of facade. Oh OK we have a very fine collection of pictures here. And Farish St. It does have a certain ring to it. And Dr. Holly what are some of your earliest memories of Farish St.. Well I have very fond memories of our street and my aunt onse and uncle were business people on Ferry Street and they also lived next to the commercial properties

which by the way is not unlike all of the areas business areas in our community in the south Natchez is an example as well where the housing stock was interspersed between the commercial buildings and what I remember. Our smells wonderful smells foods music in our community at that time of course there was de facto segregation so it was a strictly African-American community for entertainment but also it was a very mixed community. There were some Polish Jews who had property in the community Greeks who had property in the community and also Caucasians who rented within the community. And as was the tenor of the time outside communities were allowed to come in and do business there were seamstresses shoe shops ice cream parlors peanut parlors. And so those memories for

me are very pleasant. The housing. Stock had porches and my aunt's house had a porch where when we spent weekends we as children always sat on the porch because we weren't allowed to go up and down the street and watched the commerce the traffic. So it's very wonderful memories for me. It's kind of like looking back to sort of through a golden haze I guess. Exactly it's wonderful like the passage in their exact style just like Do you Dr. recall attending the Alamo theater. Oh yes very much. Was that like. It was just like going to the movies now. It was the first Alamo theater was the first black African-American theater in the city. And it not only had movies but it also was an exchange for the acts of the time. I

attended the movies when I went on Saturdays so it's it's like you're feeling now when you go to the movies it's something you become completely detached. It's a wonderful milieu to be entertained and again it's the smells and the sounds and it was a wonderful experience. Now that the Alamo has been renovated I commented that this was the first time that I had seen it in the light. I don't we gone when there were movies and it was always dark and it's now with its author deco architectural renderings. It's just a wonderful place. So we are very proud of its being exemplary of our history between between the renovated Alamo and the renovated bus depot. Those are two knockout structures downtown. They're wonderful just fantastic. Do you believe that the Alamo theater. It was special so

much soul that that was really one of the most significant and correct me on this please if you will. It really is one of the most significant structures to be renovated in the Ferry Street area. Yeah I think the entire community agrees with that. The historic foundation that Michael represents and also nice Association for the preservation of Smith Robertson school that own the Alamo. We all believe it's the anchor. It's definitely a showcase for the culture and the experience of the culture. And we believe it's going to be one of the major touristic draws. So yes it is extremely significant. I would like to ask you if I may Mr. Herbie How can you further the notion of historic preservation. How do you accomplish that. I think we're very fortunate in Jackson in that unlike a lot of studies that went through the periods of urban renewal and model cities and basically

demolished their existing stock most of their street is very much intact. Certainly struggling and need of a lot of restoration and preservation activity. But it's very much in tact and that's one of the advantages that we do have certainly as it's seen in the commercial area and in the residential area itself. And I think just education doing the types of things that both the smith Robinson museum by having the potential for its exhibits for the educational programs having institutions and venues such as the Alamo theater which will constantly be able to create opportunities to bring in people back into the community. Bring in the entertainment district itself back online be it with a different recognition of a 21st century type of upscale entertainment district but really recognizing in pain tribute to the history recognizing that the entertainment district will in fact represent the best in Mississippi. It's something that

everybody in the state of Mississippi would be able to benefit and to be able to to to visit and to be able to to enjoy as far as the the entertainment the food and really focusing on the rich history and music blues gospel jazz recognizing that a lot of the early blues artists came from Mississippi and migrated to other other cities. But recognizing the history of what what Farrah's street and certainly Jackson Mississippi offers for the community. More about that in a moment I would like to give the telephone number before time runs out. This is a calling program of course but if you need further information anyone in our audience needing any information may call Michael hervé at 1 area code 6 0 1 the Jackson Mississippi phone number is 9 4 9 4000. And they'll welcome any any kind of a question that they have. I would like to pose this question to you if I may.

Dr. Holly I want to continue the theme of the Smith Robertson museum and cultural center and its connection to all of this. Dr. Jesse Mosley began a movement in the late 70s with Dr. Al 14 Harrisson both of whom are historians and in order to preserve the smith Robertson museum or school as it were which was the first black African-American school public school in Jackson the first in the state by the way it was in Vicksburg. But this was the first school in Jackson for African-Americans. It was about to be destroyed because of the development of the area and the projections for growth and development as the city fathers thought at that time. And she was able to preserve it and had the foresight to make it into a museum community museum

and cultural center. It has been operating as ATS as such since the late 70s and 80s when it was restored and it has broadened. It's scope by acquisition and the Alamo was one of those acquisitions actually the Alamo was dated to Doctor mostly from one of the major banks and she dated the Alamo to the association so the asset base of the association is that of the Alamo as well of as well as the artifacts within the museum. Mr. Harvey here we are in 1997. What kinds of plans do you have. Is there any particular timeline looking from one thousand ninety seven on down into the future. What do you really hope to achieve. Basically Well sure we're looking at the the development of the

district itself I think the foundations had the opportunity in the earlier years to do a lot of the planning and we've actually been able to cross that threshold and actually get into the implementation now and the actual development itself so the Fair Street Foundation is currently under its leadership. Has two primary projects that we're currently working on which includes the entertainment district which we looked at earlier in your show and that encompasses including the Alamo theatre approximately 18 buildings with over ninety nine thousand square feet of buildable use that will be looking at restoring four restaurants and nightclubs and retail and commercial and office uses. So that would become the major tourist attraction in itself that district area encompassing that two block area in addition to that we're undertaking recognizing that you can have total restoration without the residential

revitalization and preservation too. So we are currently undergoing our first shotgun residential project which will encompass 35 shotgun units that are both a historic and tax credit project. And it's really the first major residential redevelopment in the district itself. So we're looking forward to getting that project underway. And we're also working with both the smith Robinson the Alamo and also other groups within the district itself to develop an overall development plan for the district which will serve as. Creating the interpretive story as Sandra has talked earlier today about the history and the contributions of the individuals we want to make sure that we chronicle that and bring that information so that people coming to the district would have that benefit of being able to walk through the district look at the various sites to be able to go back in time and also appreciate the rich culture and the history that it offers.

Is this the type of thing I'm I getting this correctly. Is this the type of thing when you put the word out in a tourist sense for people to and I mean that in a good sense a place just seen when you go to Jackson Mississippi. Absolutely. Absolutely I think the tourist industry is exactly what we're talking about. And that's a regional tourist industry that we've identified as well as just residents and citizens within the city and metropolitan area. Now I add something Jack. And I think just as we are very proud of nationalists it's Natchez Mississippi and of course it's known internationally. We. And I in particular if I may speak from a private sector point of view I have as much pride in respect of the Fair Street district as I have of that of matches and I envision on an international level when people come to Mississippi not only coming to the Capitol but coming to a community that was after the turn of the century in an after

slavery was built for and by African-Americans. And seeing that story being proud of that story then traveling to Vicksburg seeing the national museums there then traveling to matches and coming back to the Capitol. I think that is something that needs to be looked at and thought about. And I think it's very important from an educational point of view that of heritage but also for economic purposes for this community in St.. The science is absolutely correct about that tract and I think that one of the beautiful things is if you look on the maps location wise we're kind of at a crossroads. We're between Memphis and New Orleans and between Birmingham and also Dallas and so we are strategically located within a area that people traveling to these destinations subsequently have to go through Jackson. So we have the opportunity to

build on that and to try to attract people and we all believe that the redevelopment of this downtown community is one of the best opportunities that the city of Jackson has. It's 1997 we have just about 30 seconds. It's 1997. What kind of a target date would you like to see some really significant. Not that the Alamo is significant but I mean in addition to that some completion point twenty hundred to maybe Actually we would like to see it closer to the end of 1998 actually have the openings for the entertainment district and additional residential units back online. Wonderful it's been great having the both of you on and sharing stories about this wonderful district. This this will be a place to come to. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you. Thank you Jack. If you have any questions or comments write to open air

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