The last time I inspected the
Hinds County Armory in 2010, it was a wet mess with rain pouring through the decayed roof and soggy debris and mud on the floor. It was a disgrace. The
Preservation in Mississippi blog documented in 2009 how the armory had been shamefully neglected. But possibly this historic building will not succumb to the elements. In July of 2012, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History secured a $600,000 grant from the Federal government to complete some critical repairs and preserve the historic Gothic Revival building. According to WLBT News, the funds will be used, ""Initially to stabilize it, put a new roof on it and then stabilize the walls and then the funds will allow to clean the inside of it and on the outside of it make it look like a handsome building again," said H.T. Holmes, the Director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History."
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| Hinds County Armory, northeast corner. |
The shell was sober and sturdy. Note the Gothic architectural details like the arched doors and the roofline with a pseudo-parapet.
I sneaked (snuck) in and watched workmen tearing out the roof and debris. This is a major effort. Will $600,000 be enough to clean out the debris, stabilize the shell, and install a new roof? We hope so. At least we have not lost this handsome building.
Photographs taken with a Panasonic G3 digital camera, with RAW files processed with Photo Ninja.
July 2, 2013 Update: This morning, a fire broke out in the armory. Cause and extent of damage are still unknown,
Photograph by Joe Ellis, Jackson Clarion Ledger newspaper. Here is the
article. Fortunately, the damage was not too severe.
