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is now listening to the historical buffs and investors.
Last week, the council voted to establish an interim architectural committee to study the best means of preserving what architect-city councilman Fred Wagner calls “a heritage of buildings which reflect an unpretentious culture."
When the Louisville and Nashville Railroad connected New Orleans with the Coast in 1868, Bay St. Louis’ development as a summer resort began. There were, and still are, many structures that pre-date the railroad, the most famous being the Comiskey-Cowan House on North Beach, known as “Elmwood," started before the War of 1812. But the special flavor of “downtown” with small family stores alongside government offices was concocted with the summer resort dish.
The tourists still come. “If we don't have tourists, we're hurting,” said Councilman James Thriffiley. “Ours is a six to eight month economy." One way to keep them coming is to restore that old smoothness of the downtown area, which still has a number of pock marks on its countenance.
The idea is to preserve the small businesses and attract new ones to Main and Court Streets and to the three-block area of Beach Road between the railroad track and DeMontluzin Street, Thriffiley said. But not at the expense of Bay St. Louis' ambience.
The interim historical committee, whose members have not yet been appointed, would ideally come up with ideas for the development of the business district and set standards for new and restorative construction, Thriffiley said. In the end, he hopes planning will result in a body
now,” Wagner said, "decision-makers prefer high-traffic areas, such as Highway 90. So you have the high-volume sales people and national merchants wanting to be on the highway. So the potential for a business community on the beach front would seem to be locally-owned, service-type businesses more devoted to personal contacts with the customer.”
Another advantage of attracting small business investors interested in restoring old downtown buildings, said Thriffiley, is bringing property up to current tax values. Maurice Colly, who restored the Echo building, he said, gutted the building and completely remodelled it. "It was taken off the tax rolls and put back at 1980 prices.”
Thriffiley anticipates that some members of the interim committee will be drawn from investors such as Colly. He does not view this as conflict of interest. "In a town this size, with a couple of streets in a small area, everybody is involved deeply. The work of a commission would upgrade the value of property in the area, stimulate the economy, promote tourism, sales and construction." He added that he would hope to have the historical society and other interested groups represented.
‘ ‘But this is not the final commission. We need to find people to serve permanently,” Thriffiley said, and to see that people who are not active are not reappointed.
Council president Pete Benvenutti said the purpose of the interim committee is to “dig more deeply" into the subject "and come up with suggestions to see if it’s worthwhile to proceed. They will be meeting and counseling with us, then we will decide if we want a permanent commission.”
Photos by Sonny Pippin
Business district restorations include, from top, right, the old Echo building on Beach Boulevard; cottage/attorney's office on Main Street, and the Bay's first gasoline station turned restaurant, on the beachfront drive near the railroad tracks. Left, another attorney's office, once the city's first library.