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Bay St. Louis, Waveland, Diamondhead
strangers visited Waveland." The "Old Pirate House" was built in 1802. According to legend, the house was owned by Jean Lafitte and had a secret tunnel leading from the house to the waterfront. This house was destroyed by Camille.
Citizens of Waveland did not leave New Orleans; they brought New Orleans with them, including Mardi Gras and the St Patrick's Day Parade. It is the birthplace of the coast?s first all-women Mardi Gras Krewe and stages the coast's oldest St. Patrick's Day Parade. Along Beach Drive is Buccaneer State Park with camping, picnicking, swimming, and fishing activities as well as the Wave Pool and a Water Slide. As a twin-city with Bay St Louis, there is much sharing and cooperation of activities such as the Bay Waveland Yacht Club, Rotary Club, Garden Club, Senior Citizens activities, and AARP.
The City of Waveland has been growing during the past five years at a rate unprecedented in its long history. Once mainly a summer resort, today the town is alive with activity and taking on a bright new face as construction and new business rejuvenates the once sleepy seaside town into a viable community. Two shopping areas with large chain stores are present along its highway corridor.
Waveland has been most prudent in restricting its beach front to strictly residential with the result that it now is the only city on Mississippi's Gulf Coast where there is no commercial intrusion, thereby displaying a continuous panorama of lovely homes and gardens the entire length of the beach drive. It may well be that Waveland is one of the few cities in the nation to claim this distinction. Regardless, the situation can only enhance the value of these lovely properties as time goes on and distinguish the town for its consistency in this respect.
City services and utilities are up-to-date and the city has a recently installed sewerage system, newly surfaced streets, and modern fire fighting equipment and vehicles for fire departments and police The city?s recreation department provides an attractive, fenced-in, tree-shaded municipal park equipped with tennis courts, a softball field, basketball courts, playground equipment, and a picnic shelter; and there is even a rip rap fishing jetty in addition to a second playground at the water's edge.
At the western end of Waveland is Buccaneer State Park. This is one of the nicest of Mississippi's State Parks and was the first park to be developed in the Gulf Coast area of the state in over forty years. It was designed to be one of Mississippi's finest and has the potential to become one of the state's leading parks because of its excellent coastline location. The park covers 400 acres of land which includes a mile long beach front area.
The design includes camping areas, swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball court, shuffleboard court, entrance building, activities building, three bath houses, two picnic pavilions with rest rooms, one comfort station, maintenance building, playground , and manager's residence. The camping area has been promoted as the first Class-A camping area in the state.
DIAMONDHEAD
by
Dan Ellis - Historiographeur, 225 Fairway Dr., Pass Christian, MS, (601) 452-3138
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