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OUR HERITAGE REMEMBERED Soa Coast Eeho-Sunday, May 29, 7 977
SECTION D
1780-1970
Architectural influences
BY FRED WAGNER Architect, A.I.A.
As a community or a region grows and changes, many of the physical aspects of Ufe disappear or are hidden away. ' The buildings we build and those our ancestors built before us, however, give excellent reflection of their .time. Hancock County and its more heavily populated areas along the bead) front are rich 1 in a heritage of buildings 1 which reflect an unpretentious ! culture from the pre-' territorial period to the
*	present day.
Although some of our finest architectural legacies have been lost to hurricanes, fire or , neglect there are many which ^,still stand to give us dues to ! past cultural and aesthetic resources. If we think of . ?architecture? as the op-. pulent mansions of Natchez and Columbus, then we will be ? disappointed In structures we .find in this community. But If simple buildings which are an honest reflection of needs, dimate, finandal resources and an unsophisticated life style, can be called "architecture" then there Is much -to see and to enjoy. As a professional architect I find a great deal to admire and to .., absorb not only from buildings 1 but also from boats, bridges, cemeteries and other handcrafted reflections of the man*
} made environment.
/ The American Bicentennial celebration and other post Viet-Nam War influences have made Americans more nostalgic and interested in their past. AU across the country there has been a growing interest in historic preservation and Mississippi is no exception. Natchez has long been viewed as an outstanding example of private preservation of historic architectural resources. The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has recently completed the preservation of the
significance standing In our community. This house is reputed to date from 1803 and that date is probable. The structure is basically Federal in style but with a strong influence of the Carribbean reflected in Its galleries. (Originally the rear of the house had an open gallery matching the front. The rear one story wing Is an unfortunate 20th Century addition). The excellent brickwork, the fine Joinery, the steep roof, and the inordinately handsome dormers all testify to sensitive design and the most careful sdection of materials and work-* manship. Fine hardware and delicate moulded plaster cornices and mantels all speak of one of the finest and most sophisticated structures ever buUt here. The original roof was wood shingle and the brick left unpainted until the 20th Century.
2.	816 North Beacb ? Breath House - An unusual house reflecting changing taste over a fifty year period. The original central portion of the structure now almost completely concealed probably dates from the 1830s and was very plain and modest. The octagonal corner porch, the decorative shingled pediment and the very fine Victorian scroll work at the pediment gable all reflect various additions in the Queen Ann, Stick and Victorian style to em-belish an earlier colonial box house.
3.	600 North Beach ? Mauffray House - Built In the middle 1930s this house Is In the French Provindal revival style and has excellent proportions and very fine detail for a depression period building. All of the exterior detail is origtnal except the one story solarium on the north side.
4.	502 North Beacb - Win-nard House ? This house is a perfect example of high Queen Anne style of about 1895. The projections, details, variety of
interesting combination of Romanesque Revival and Neo-Classic. The round arch windows, towers and semidrcular apse all typify Romanesque Influences but the front portico and most of the interior detail is solidly Neo-Classic. This combination qf .styles is typical of the first decade of this century.
10.	414 Sooth Beach ? Swoop House ? This house in an excellent example of early Greek Revival and probably dates from the 1840s. The property has been in the same family for over 80 years and looks now almost exadly as it did In the 1895 ?Along the Gulf.? The gallery originally was open on all 4 sides of the main house. The kitchen and dining room in a separate wing was typical of many ante-bellum homes. The iron railing, dormer decorations and kitchen ornament is probabty from the 1800s. Original excellent proportions of galley and cornice are worth noting.
11.	4IS South Beacb ? OtU Green House - This house is believed to have been designed for an Exposition in New Orleans In the 1890s (as an example of the most modern home design ideas) and then moved to this site after the dose of the display. This seems probable as the variety of details, textures and proportions is typical of the Victorian style and well suited to narrow New Orleans lots. The cast Iron Corinthian capitals on the porch columns are a very fine detail.
12.	706 South Beach - Akers House ? This simple two story pink cottage, popularly known as the ?Spanish Custom House,? is probably the oldest building In Bay St. Louis. A date of 1787 is inscribed In the brickwork and it is very likdy the date of construction. The building is solid brick with a stucco finish and the gallery originally encompassed all
influence. It dates from early 1860 and has good proportions and good simple trim. The color is typical of it's period and it is one of the few in which the galleries have not been screened.
18.	242 St. Charles Street-A very nicely restored early Victorian with good color selection, probably the original slate roof and an excellent Paladian window in the high gable. The shutters are not original, but are in keeping with the style.
19.	241 Ballcntlne Street -This old cottage though in poor condition has very good proportions and unusually fine turned wood columns. It probably dates from 1880 and Is one of only a few from that period. The iron fence is probably not original to the property but Is appropriate to the period of the design. The extensive tree shading adds to the charm of the setting.
20.	231, 229, 227 and 22S Balleotlne Street - These four simple cottages are probably the smallest and most modest structures in the community from the ante-bellum period. The one at 225 is most nearly original and shows a sensitivity to proportion and skillful workmanship In even the most humble of dwdling. All tout- probably looked exactly alike when built.
21.	107 Citizen (Sanger) Blaixe House ? This charming house in the quintessence of the Queen Anne style and probably dates from 1885-1890.
It is in a remarkably good state of preservation and with very little modification. The octagonal rooms, round headed windows and shutters, the slate roof and the typical detail on the beach-side porch, all add up to an excellent example.
22.	Ill Citizen - Glbbens House ? This unpretentious cottage is an excellent example of various influences from different periods, blended well together and all
third houses are distracting. The painting of the middle house to accentuate the design is characteristic of the period though the green tones are not quite true to the original.
27.	129 Main Street -Masonic Temple (Stokoe Memorial) ? This handsome brick structure was built in the 1920s and Is an excellent example of restrained Neo-Classic Revival. It was designed by Stone Brothers of New Orleans and has very good proportions and carefully moulded plaster details. The most ronarkable attribute of this building Is that it is almost completely unchanged and has never suffered from Insensitive "modernization.?*
28.	Main Street between Coe and Gex Streets - Hancock County Courthouse - The Courthouse was built In 1911 to replace an older frame Victorian structure. It was designed by Keenan and Wds, architects with Jett Bro. contracting builders. Although the quality of materials Is not as fine as In many courthouses built In South Mississippi In the period, it's proportions are good. The modified Ionic columns are especially wdl done. A large sheet metal ornamental cupola original to the building was damaged beyond repair in Hurricane Camille and not replaced when the building was restored.
29.	162 Main Street ? Main Street United Methodist Church - This simple Uttle church dates from the 1850s and is the only good example in the community of ?Carpenter Gothic.? The description comes from unsophisticated expression of Gothic details In the wood vernacular. Many similar structures were built at the same period in the deep South.
There is an almost exact duplicate of this church in Port Gibson, Mississippi.
ARCHITECTURAL
INFLUENCES
1780-1970
STREET MAP OF BAY St. Louis prepared by Fred Wagner to assist those Interested la locating 30 buildings listed In bis article aaent Architectural Influences 1780-1970.
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