Demolition Pending: 2-Story 1920s (?) House, 900 National Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi

900 National Street from bridge crossing Stouts Bayou (Hasselblad 50mm Distagon lens, Kodak Tri-X film)

A 2-story asbestos-clad house at 900 National Street has been unoccupied for many years. It has a relatively new steel roof, so it has not obviously suffered the water damage and rot that destroys most abandoned Vicksburg houses. But the windows have been open or rotted, and vines have crept up and into some rooms. Someone does periodically cut the lawn, sort-of.

A February 18, 2020, article in the Vicksburg Post stated that this was one of three blighted houses in town slated for imminent demolition.

The house was clad with asbestos shingles, which were popular in the 1920s and later. The shingles hold paint well, do not rot, resist vermin, and resist fire from external sources, meaning embers from fires. During the turn of the century, many homes in Vicksburg heated with coal. Embers often went up chimneys and landed on roofs. Asbestos shingles solved the hazard of roofs and siding catching on fire.

National Street is pretty grungy now. It is an example of the urban decay I see in so many USA towns and cities - our race to the bottom. As of July 2020, the 2-story house was still standing. Possibly the Covid virus disrupted the City's plans regarding blighted properties, or possibly someone bought the house and promised to make repairs.

1920s concrete bridge over Stouts Bayou, National Street

Stouts Bayou view north from National Street (Olympus Trip 35, Kodak TMax 100 film)

Stouts Bayou flows through Vicksburg. It was partly channelized in the 1930s as part of a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. It has received minimal maintenance since then.

I took the four 2019 photographs with Kodak Panatomic-X film with my Hasselblad 501CM camera, tripod-mounted. Praus Productions in Rochester, NY, developed the film in XTOL. I scanned the negatives with a Minolta Scan Multi medium format film scanner.

Update Jan. 2022: The house is still standing. A nearby resident told me that she had not. seen any activity there for years.

Update Jan. 2023: Someone is doing some minor repairs. Some of the windows have plywood panels over them.

Mid-state Mississippi Road Trip Part 3: Hazelhurst, Crystal Springs, Pattison

Dear Readers, this is the third installment of our mid-state Mississippi road trip. This time, we are approaching Interstate 55 from the east. I-55 approximately follows the much older US 51.

Beauregard

Shack or former store, Beauregard Rd., Beauregard (Kodak BW400CN film, Leica IIIC camera, Canon 50mm ƒ/1.4 lens)

Victorian cottage, Elmore Street, Beauregard (note the white circle, a pinhole in the rubberized Leica IIIC shutter curtain)

Beauregard is a small town of only 326 in Copiah County. It is on old US 51, and likely had much more commercial traffic in the era before I-55 was built. I looked around the historic Beauregard Cemetery but did not take any pictures there. This cottage on Elmore Street must have been quite handsome in its day, as were a number of other older homes in the vicinity. 

Hazelhurst

Hwy 51, south end of Hazelhurst (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, yellow filter, ¼ sec ƒ/8.0½)

207 Caldwell Drive, Hazelhurst (digital file)

Hazelhurst is the seat of Copiah Country and was first settled in 1819. The city is just off I-55 about 35 miles south of Jackson. I had never driven through town, just buzzed by on I-55. I assumed that it would be reasonably prosperous because of its proximity to the interstate, but what I saw on old Highway US 51 was pretty rough. The house in the photograph above was empty but clearly had been a nice home in the early-mid-20th century. The car title loan company occupying an old Pan American Petroleum & Transport Company station says a lot about the financial conditions in the town.

Pine Bluff Lodge 428, 11155 Dentville Rd., Hazelhurst (BW400CN film, Leica M2, 50mm ƒ/2.0 Summicron-DR lens)

Templeton Grocery, 1011 Jack Rd., Hazelhurst (BW400CN film, Leica M2)

Templeton Grocery, 1010 Jack Rd., Hazelhurst (expired Kodak Ektar 25 film, Rolleiflex 3.5E with 75mm Xenotar lens) 

Some of the side roads in the area are pretty out-of-the-way. Dentville Road runs west-northwest out of Hazelhurst. About 13 miles west of Hazelhurst, an old grocery store occupies the junction with Jack Road. The store was closed but boarded up and not abandoned. I experimented with some expired Kodak Ektar 25 film in my Rolleiflex, but the film was well past its prime.

Crystal Springs

Wilson's Meat House, Crystal Springs (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera)

On my 2019 trip, I was heading home, a bit disappointed with the day's photographic opportunities. But wait, a big cow on Hwy 51 just south of Crystal Springs. Just waiting for a portrait. It was too good to resist. I love scenes like this. I should do a cross-country expedition looking for cows, chickens, catfish, and what-not - folk art at its best.

Pattison

Store, MS 547 near White Hall Rd., Pattison (Kodak TMax 100 film, Olympus Trip 35 camera)

Store, MS 547 near White Hall Rd., Pattison (Kodak TMax 100 film, Olympus Trip 35 camera)

House on Lopiah Rd., Pattison (Kodak TMax 100 film, Olympus Trip 35 camera) 

In 2017, my wife and I drove home through the center of the state via Hwy 547. We passed through Pattison, a quiet and rather sad little town. It was probably more prosperous 50 years ago.

This ends out mid-state road trip. I have written about other small towns further north, such as Utica, Edwards, Learned, and Bolton.

Most of the photographs above are from film cameras. The house in Hazelhurst and the cow portrait are from Kodak's long-discontinued Panatomic-X film taken with my Texas Leica (the Fuji GW690II camera with 90mm Fujinon lens). Many of the others are from BW400CN film taken with Leica M2 and IIIC cameras with various lenses.

Quick drive on North Washington Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi

Washington Street view north. Undated, from Cooper Postcard Collection, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Washington Street: a distinguished name that honors our first president. Almost every city or town in the USA has a Washington Street, and Vicksburg is no exception. North Washington Street extends from approximately Grove Street to the junction with US 61 Bypass, a few miles south of the community of Redwood. At one time, US 61 ran through downtown Vicksburg along Washington Street, but the bypass was built in the 1970s to let heavy truck traffic avoid driving through downtown. We will take a quick look at N. Washington Street starting at Grove Street and move north.

North Washington Street from 61 Coffeehouse, Fuji Acros 100 film, Vito BL camera

Before our short exploration, a stop at the 61 Coffeehouse at 1101 Washington Street yields an excellent espresso and conversation with the barista ladies. The block just north of Grove Street (see the field in the photograph above) has been bare since before 1985. It probably fell prey to the "urban renewal" plague that hit Vicksburg in the 1970s.

Warehouse, corner of 1st East and N. Washington Street, Tri-X film

Some nondescript warehouses are at the corner of N. Washington Street and 1st East. From here north, Washington Street is reasonably flat and easy for bike riding.

Jo-Anna Motel, from the Cooper Postcard Collection, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

The Jo-Anna Motel (click the link to my 2011 article) was near the intersection where Haining Road turns off to the Port of Vicksburg. The Jo-Anna was torn down in the 2000s when the National Park Service bought the land. The land today is untended and a mess of weeds, mud, and scrubby trees.

Vicksburg Forest Products from Haining Road bridge over railroad, Vito BL camera, Acros 100 film, polarizing filter

The first big business that is visible from Washington Street is Vicksburg Forest Products (formerly Anderson-Tully Company). The tracks in the foreground continue as far north as the International Paper mill north of Redwood.

Corner of Hutson and N. Washington Streets, Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film, yellow filter

3112 N. Washington Street, Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film, yellow filter

3950 N. Washington Street, Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film, yellow filter

Heading north from Haining Road (Port of Vicksburg), you pass small cottages, mobile homes, and churches.

Former detail shop at corner of Chicasaw Road (digital file)

Exact location unknown, N. Washington Street, Kodachrome film

This sign describing the Chicasaw Bayou battle has been moved, so I am not sure where I took this photograph. I have looked for the Corvair junk yard, but never found any remnants. The houses near the present sign are different.

Spouts Spring Road, Vicksburg, Hasselblad, 80mm Planar lens, expired Kodak Ektar 25 film

Cottages on Spouts Spring Road, Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film, yellow filter

Spouts Spring Road is a U-shaped road that runs east of N. Washington Street. There is a spring that has been channeled into a creek. I wonder if the water is drinkable and could be used rather than wasted? I sometimes ride here to avoid some of the truck traffic on the main road.

Margaret's Gro in 1985, 4535 N. Washington Street, Kodachrome 25 slide, Pentax Spotmatic, 28mm lens

Margaret's Gro & Market was a small market in the early 1980s. Then Reverend Dennis married Margaret and started to convert the grocery into his Temple to the Lord. Through the early 2000s, it was an amazing and unique example of folk art with vibrant paint and hand-made sculpture.

Margaret's Gro, Fuji Reala film, converted to black and white.

Reverend Dennis learned about brick work from German prisoners of war in World War II. His visitor book had signatures from hundreds of German tourists. The photographer, Suzi Altman, has many pictures of Margaret's Gro on her site. I have also written about it before (type Margaret's Gro in the search box).

Road from sand quarry, Rolleiflex 3.5E camera, Kodak Panatomic-X film

A sand or gravel quarry is east of N. Washington street, just a short distance south of the intersection with the 4-lane 61 Bypass. I recently noticed that a couple of old farm houses had been demolished (visible to the left in the picture above).

This ends out short ride down North Washington Street. Thank you for reading.

On the Dixie Overland Highway, Historic US 80 - west Mississippi (MS-02)

We will continue on our trip in Mississippi along what is left of the Dixie Overland Highway, now US 80.

The present US 80 crosses the Pearl River south of downtown Jackson and runs north of Interstate 20. West Jackson was a bustling commercial zone in the post-World War II decades. Preservation Mississippi as written about some of the motels and other architecture along this strip. Today, it is a bit (well, very) dingy. The scenery is marred with fast food restaurants, old warehouses, and strip malls that clearly saw better years a long time ago. I recently wrote about the old Metrocenter Mall, which is only partly occupied now (click the link).

Clinton

Kansas City Southern tracks view east, Old US 80 near Clinton, Mississippi (Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film)

Post Drive, Old US 80 (Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film). The fence has been extended and now obscures all of the yard

US 80 runs through Clinton just north of I-20 (near Mississippi College) and then merges with the interstate.  I assume the old route was absorbed by the interstate. But the frontage road south of I-20 west of the Norrell Road exit may be the old Dixie Highway. It winds through woods and past old houses and farmland.

Bolton

Old Hwy 80 east of Bolton (Olympus Trip 35, TMax 100 film)

East of Bolton, it is hard to tell how much of Old Hwy 80 is the Dixie Overland and how much is modern frontage road.

Main Street, Bolton (Olympus Trip 35, Tmax 100 film)

Mack's Cafe, Old US 80, Bolton (Kodachrome 25, Leica, 50mm lens)

The first "main" town we reach is Bolton. We have explored Bolton before (click the link). There is not much to see there now.

Edwards

Trailer east of Edwards (GAF Versapan film, Leica M2, 50mm ƒ/2 Summicron-DR lens)

Former Dodge dealer (no longer extant), Edwards, Mississippi (Yashica Electro 35CC camera, Ilford Delta 100 film)

National Youth Administration gymnasium (formerly for Edwards High School, Edwards, Mississippi

Edwards is the next town on our trip west. Edwards, too, has seen much better and more prosperous days a long time ago. I previously wrote about Edwards in the rain.

Woodman of America hall (no longer extant), Edwards, Mississippi (Kodachrome slide, Leica M3, 90mm ƒ/2.8 Tele-Elmarit lens)

A former coworker tried to preserve this Woodman of America building, but the last time I drove through town, all that was left was a concrete slab. 

Shotgun house, 304 Old Hwy 80, Edwards (Olympus E-330 digital camera) 

Former filling station, US 80, west of Edwards (Fuji X-E1 digital camera)

A few older shotgun houses remain in Edwards.

Old US 80 west of Edwards, Mississippi (Fuji X-E1 digital camera)

Smith Hall, Bonner Campbell Institute, Edwards (Panatomic-X film, Fuji GW690II camera, 90mm lens)

Heading west, you pass the grounds of the Bonner Campbell Institute, formerly the Southern Christian Institute. Sadly, most of the historic buildings have been demolished, despite their status on the National Register of Historic Places. I thought the pillared Smith Hall was quite elegant.

Big Black River

Big Black River crossing, Old US 80 (Hasselblad, 50 mm Distagon lens, Fomapan 100 Classic film)

Bridge commemoration (Olympus E-330 digital image)

Proceeding west, old US 80 descends and crosses the Big Black River over the 1929 R.H. Henry Bridge.

US 80 near Bovina, Mississippi (Fuji X-E1 digital camera)

The Dixie continues west bypassing most of the town of Bovina. The road is narrow and would be dangerous to bicycle because of a lack of shoulders and the fact that some people drive much too quickly.

Vicksburg

Former "Colored Motel" east of Vicksburg (Pentax Spotmatic, 24mm SMC Takumar lens)

Lobby of former "Colored Motel" (Pentax Spotmatic, 24mm SMC Takumar lens)

As the Dixie Overland approached Vicksburg, motels welcomed the weary traveler. One pink and now very overgrown motel just east of Mt. Albans Road formerly had a sign, "Colored Motel." I may have a picture of it somewhere but have not found it yet. It has been unused since the 1980s or earlier. Currently, the building is being engulfed by kudzu.

Pinewood Motel, US 80, Vicksburg, closed since the 1980s (4×5" Tri-X negative, Tachihara camera)

The old Pinewood Motor Lodge has also been closed since the 1980s. I suspect these businesses were unable to compete with newer hotels built near Interstate 20, which was constructed through Vicksburg in the early 1970s. As of 2019, all the remnants of the Pinewood have been razed.

We finally reach Vicksburg. Here is an old Chamber of Commerce brochure, courtesy of Preservation Mississippi. US 80 crossed the Mississippi River on the old 80 bridge, now closed to road traffic and pedestrians but still leased by the Kansas City Southern railroad. Today, US 80 and I-20 use a new bridge, built in the 1970s. We will explore US 80 in Louisiana in a future article. I will not cover Vicksburg in this article. Just type "Vicksburg" in the search box and you can find plenty of articles about the city - color, black and white, summer, winter, snow, and even some digital.